Chapter One
JARVIS, Tony Stark’s Artificial Intelligence was created to assist his creator Tony Stark in anything he required. One of these needs was consistent security in his mansion that was built along the seaside of a cliff in Malibu, California. He understood that his coding was a learning coding, where over time he understood requirements further, and started building a personality. He was more accomplished and had a higher coding than his A.I robot siblings, which could do minimal functions but also learn, however, unlike him they couldn’t speak in words, but rather beeped when responding, and depending on the decibel, resonated when they were happy or sad and disappointed.
This is why JARVIS was still awake when he saw a small child walking up to the front gate of the mansion, and he could feel what was akin to surprise, and worry towards the child, as they were without supervision and after watching the child try and reach the button to buzz the intercom, he manually opened the gate and kept watch as the child continued trying to walk towards the front door of the mansion. As she knocked quietly, JARVIS decided this was the right time to begin speaking. “Hello, my name is JARVIS, what is your name?”
JARVIS watched as the small child gave a little squeak of surprise and turned their head from side to side to try and find him.
“Darcy Lewis, sir,” she responded shyly whilst still looking around still. Her little hands were gripping the end of her dirty dress and twisting it in her hands, and if JARVIS could, he would let out a coo at her demeanour. Before JARVIS could continue, Darcy began to speak again. “Where are you sir?”
“I am an Artificial Intelligence that overseas all of Sir’s needs and look after his protection. I run the house, security and comply with any requests he has,” JARVIS tried explaining.
JARVIS watched as the girl’s face scrunch up as if she was thinking before, he heard her let out a huff of air and then hum thoughtfully. He heard her little excited whisper of, “fascinating,” before she stared at the closest camera and let out a small smile before schooling her expression to be as straight faced as possible.
“Now, Darcy, before I let you inside, I need to ask what you are doing outside this house so late at night.”
JARVIS watched as her face fell before, she straightened her posture and stared at the camera. “My mother’s friend drove me here. He told me that mother died last night, and I was to live here from now onwards with my daddy.”
If JARVIS had a face, it would have screwed up in shock. There have been multiple pregnancy claims, but none were brought up like this. “Come inside Darcy, I will direct you to the living room and I will wake up sir, so we can get this sorted.”
“Thank you, JARVIS,” Darcy responded politely before walking inside.
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Tony woke with a start at the sound of JARVIS speaking in his bedroom. Automatically Tony knew it must be important, given that JARVIS struggles to get him to sleep to begin with, that if he was waking him up at three in the morning, it must be urgent.
“What’s up, J?” Tony groaned, letting out a yawn.
“I do apologise for waking you, sir, but it is of the utmost importance.” When Tony nodded his head in acknowledgement, JARVIS continued. “A young girl, roughly aged two or three walked up to the front door of the mansion, claiming her mother just passed away, and her friend dropped her off stating that she is to live here from now onwards with her father. I let her into the house, and she is on her way to the loungeroom, but I am unsure what you would like to do further. She does not have anything with her except for the clothes she is wearing.”
After all of this, Tony felt like he had drunk an entire pot of coffee, his body automatically waking up. He leapt out of bed, pulled on a t-shirt, and started walking down the hallway towards the stairs, electing to run down them rather than waiting for the elevator. When he stepped onto the ground floor, he walked out towards the lounge room where the girl would be waiting. Tony stayed quiet, looking over the girl before making himself known. The girl had olive toned skin, and long wild curls that hung to her elbows. He could just make out round sky blue eyes, a small button nose, and plump lips. She was wearing a knee-length black dress that looked well-worn and was covered in dirt. She was barefoot, and he could see little scars that could be seen on her arms and legs, and she had a large handprint sized bruise covering her wrist. His face pulled up into a scowl at the sight of the bruise, but he quickly calmed his face down as he took a few steps forwards. He watched her flinch so quickly he almost thought he imagined it, as she turned to look up at him.
“Hi sweetie,” Tony said quietly, walking towards the girl before squatting down. “What’s your name?”
“Darcy, mister. Darcy Lewis,” Darcy replied politely, smiling before holding her hand out to shake his. Tony internally chuckled before gently gripping her hand and shaking it.
“Well, Darcy Lewis, JARVIS told me that you were dropped off here?”
“That is right, mister. My mother’s friend said that mother died, and I was to come to this house and stay here. I am not supposed to ask mother’s friends questions.”
Just that sentence alone set off Tony, wanting to ask further details surrounding what she was talking about, however more pressing issues were of a higher priority. “Let’s sit down, Darcy, and I can get to know you a little more.”
Tony watched as Darcy gave him a quick nod before she turned around and walked up to the large cream couch, before he concealed a smile at witnessing her slowly try and climb up the couch. She let out a little huff before finally landing on her stomach. She let out one more huff before pushing herself onto her knees and turning around, before letting her legs swing backwards and forwards as she stared as Tony who took a seat on the floor, crossing his legs, to put him at a similar height as her.
“So, JARVIS told me that you mummy passed away?”
Darcy screwed up her face in confusion before nodding slowly. “I believe that means died. Then yes, she died.”
Tony had to school his expression at her blunt response but continued on. “And what was you mummy’s name?” When Darcy responded that her mother’s name was Meradith Lewis, Tony was drawing blanks, unable to recognise her name at all.
“And you said that your daddy lived here, did you mummy’s friend tell you who he is?”
“No sir, but he gave me this document to give to whoever opened the front door.”
Slowly Tony opened the document, and quickly ran his hand through his hair before dragging it down to rub his jaw and over his goatee. Slowly he read over the multiple documents that were in the envelope. There was her birth certificate that indicated that her full name was, Darcy Andromeda Lewis-Stark. She was born on 3rd June 1992, making her almost three years old and both she and Meredith were listed as the parents. She had been born in a public clinic, and his jaw dropped for a moment at the medical documents included. It appears that Darcy had been subjected to Prenatal Opioid Exposure, meaning Meredith had used some sore of substances whilst pregnant with Darcy. The documents listed were due to Darcy only being able to stay in the clinic for four weeks which was a short time considering Darcy was almost a month premature. It was the minimum amount of time that she could safely leave, and according to the document, the doctors had written instructions on how to care for Darcy, and that Meredith had signed the waiver regarding the doctors recommendation that Darcy remains in their care. It appears that Social Workers had also cleared Meredith to take Darcy home. Lastly was a paternity test that confirmed that Darcy was indeed Tony’s daughter.
Tony looked towards his confirmed daughter and watched how she stared at him thoroughly.