Building with dad
The drive to the base was a whirlwind but I was so happy because my dad was alive and he was coming home to me.
Once we were there I stood by Pepper and Happy by the car and waited. I was holding onto Pepper's hand and watched as dad appeared and walked down the ramp with Rhodey. Once he was on solid ground I couldn’t wait any longer so I ran to him.
He pulled me in the best he could with one arm and held me close.
“Daddy I have missed you so much.”
“I have missed you baby girl, but thinking of you and getting back to your sweet face kept me going. I'm so sorry I was gone for so long.”
“It's alright daddy I'm just glad you are back now. Just no more doing things like this alright?”
“You got it, you're my boss always. I love you, baby girl.”
“I love you too daddy.” He wrapped his arm around me just holding me tightly for a moment before we walked over to Pepper. They talked for a moment while I just took in being with dad again. If this was a dream I didn’t want to wake up and if it was real I never wanted to let him go again.
We all got in the car with me setting in between dad and Pepper. I listened to them talking and dad refusing to go to the hospital.
Once Happy started to drive, dad looked at me.
“You want a cheeseburger don't you?”
“I am kind of hungry.”
“See, my little girl wants a cheeseburger as well and that is what she will get.”
After we got our Cheeseburgers we went to the press conference and I stayed with Pepper while dad went upfront.
I smiled at Phil as he talked with Pepper, then we all sat down when dad asked. I had no idea where this was going but I knew with dad back things were about to be shaken up even more than what I did because being over there changed him that much I could see.
“I never got to say goodbye to my father. My little girl almost had to go through the same thing. There’s questions I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts, or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels.” Dad continued to talk about what happened over there before announcing that he was shutting down the weapons division. I had a smile come onto my face, I was sure they were missing me at the moment because I didn’t shut it down all the way.
The next day I got ready and headed downstairs. I looked around and didn’t see anyone around. I grabbed water out of the fridge before I saw Pepper walking upstairs.
“Is dad down there?”
“He is, do you need anything?”
“No, just hanging out. Thank you though Pepper.” I went back to going through things that I had been working on while dad was gone.
After a while, I made my way down to dad.
“What are you doing dad?”
“Working on something top secret, do you want in?”
“I always want in.” He showed me what he was working on and we got to work.
Over the next few days, I worked with dad on his suit idea trying to work out how to make it work.
I watched Dad as he was about to try the boots out.
“Are you sure this is a good idea, what if you get hurt?”
“I will be fine, don’t you trust your old man?”
“First I never thought I would hear you call yourself old, second I do trust you and all of our work, but most of all I just got you back. I don’t think I could lose you again already.”
He walked over to me and held onto my shoulders.
“Look at me, I am fine right now and I'm not going anywhere. You are stuck with me for a long time. I’m not leaving you, baby girl.”
“Alright, let's try this.” He hugged me and went back over to where he was.
I watched from where I was as he started a countdown. He lifted off and flew into the wall behind him.
“Daddy” I ran over to him to help.
“Not perfect yet.”
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine it is only the first try, still work to be done.” I helped him up before we were back to work on making updates to the design.
After that dad and I continue to work with each other and make improvements to it all.
Dad was making tweaks to a stabilizer when Pepper walked in and they talked. I half-listened while I continued to work on my design. I smiled when dad told her it was safe only to not look so safe when he tried it out. She went back up and dad looked at me.
“You think she’s mad?”
“I think she’s used to you by now.” We made our way upstairs and as dad talked to Obadiah I made my way into the kitchen and grabbed a little food and a drink out of the fridge. I walked back into the living room as they were talking.
“This one stays with me and my girl” I smiled at that and started to head back down dad following as he finished talking to Obadiah. Once we were back downstairs I looked to dad.
“What did he want?”
“They want me out.”
“Why?”
“They think I can’t handle it.”
“Well, they can’t kick both of us out.”
“That they can’t my beautiful smart daughter.” After that, we both got back to work.
Dad once again was introducing another test video.
“Good luck” with that dad starts and goes up into the air, I watch nervously but it was going well. He came back down after a moment.
“That was good, you stayed in the air that time.”
“Thanks for the reminder.” He then went off on his robot before going back up. I watched as he slowly was losing control over it going all over the room.
“Dad, I don’t think going over the cars is a good idea.”
“I'm trying here.” After a few more moments he safely lands.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” He was putting on the suit.
“It will be fine, don’t you trust our design?”
“With long-term no, there is so much that could go wrong.”
“We can talk the whole time, it will be fine.” He places the mask on and talks to JARVIS.
I just hope this will end well. I watched him go up then out the tunnel.
“Dad”
“It's fine, I am alright.” After a moment I heard JARVIS.
“Ice what ice, dad?” I get no response and I am worried. Then he talks.
“I am good, no problems. Heading back home.” I let out a sigh of relief and sat on a chair to wait for him.
Just then dad comes down through the ceiling and lands on a car.
“DADDY” I ran over to help him as the robot sprayed at us.
“I'm fine, just need some ice.” I help him up and as he gets out of the suite I go to get the ice bag.
I was cleaning things up when I saw Dad open the box from Pepper. Which held the old reactor.
“I told you she’s pretty amazing and knows you better than you do.” Dad smiles and hugs me.
“Of course you are always right.”
“Might want to remember that.”
“So funny.”
“I take after my dad.”
“No, all the good is just like your mother. She would be so proud of you.”
“You think so?”
“I know she would because I am.”
“Thank you, Dad, I love you.”
“I love you too, my baby girl.” He kissed my head as I laid it on his shoulder.
It had been a little while and we were working on modifications to the suite when the news started to talk about the charity party.
“Did you know?”
“We talked about it while you were gone but I forgot.”
“Well, what do you say, Want to be my date for the evening?”
“You don’t have a lovely lady waiting for you?” I asked him with a smirk playing on my face.
“No, besides the only lovely lady I care about at the moment is my beautiful daughter.”
“Give me 15 minutes and I will be ready.” I ran up and started to get ready. I had showered already after dad killed the house so I quickly slipped on a gown and let my hair down. Running the brush through my hair and then put on some spray and jewelry. As I put a necklace on I stopped at the chain already around my neck, it was long and hid under the top of my dress. I pulled it up looking at it. On the chain lay my grandmother's wedding ring and a ring dad gave to mom when I was born with my birthstone in a heart. I smiled as I looked at it. The only time I would take it off was to shower and sleep. Other than that I had it on, it made me feel like I still had both of them here with me. Just then there was a knock on my door.
“Are you ready?” I smiled and grabbed a small bag walking over to the door picking up my shoes to slip on as I walked by them. I pulled the door open with a smile.
“I am, you?”
“Yes, you look beautiful Sweetheart.”
“Thank you, daddy. Now let's go show them nothing keeps us Stark’s down.”
“You are absolutely my daughter.” We made our way to the car and took off.
Once their dad got out and then came around and got me. He wrapped his arm around my back and we made our way up. We stopped a moment for him to talk to Obadiah, and women wanting his attention but he focused on me and I just smiled.
Walking in it did look nice, I was proud of the work I had done with Pepper setting it all up. We walked up to the bar and dad got a drink.
“No drinks for you.”
“I know dad, I don’t drink. I will have water please.” I told the bartender as I saw Phil come up to us. He talked to dad before dad walked over to Pepper.
“No drinking, I mean it.” He told me as he walked away. I roll my eyes with a smile watching him walk to Pepper. There was no way that dad didn’t like her.
“So can I count on you to make sure the meeting happens?”
“I will do what I can Phil but as you can see dad is not always the easiest to get to do what you want him to do.”
“I know if anyone can, it will be you.”
“You put way too much faith in what I can do.”
“Well, I have seen your work. I know how much you are capable of and I know you are very convincing. Everyone respects you at work because you are a good person who wants to do the right thing and help people. Plus we all know that you have your father wrapped around your finger. Just like your grandfather was.”
“I will make sure you get to talk to him Phil don’t worry.” I saw dad and Pepper dancing and smiled. If dad was with anyone I wanted it to be Pepper.
“For what it's worth your mom would love that Pepper is so much in both yours, and your father’s lives.”
“I know.” I watched them walk out and smiled.
“Please don’t let him forget”
“I'm on it Phil don’t worry, I will talk to you later.” I start to walk away.
“I hope, the others miss you by the way.”
“I miss all of them as well.” I smile and go to mingle with people.
I get pulled into a few different conversations and smile and nod a lot. I saw dad go outside and follow him. I watch him talk to Obadiah and people snapping pictures. After Obadiah walked away dad looked back at me. I walked down to him.
“We are going.” He whispered in my ear. We walked to the car and got in before dad took off.
“What is going on?” Dad handed Pictures to me and told me what he was just told.
“I knew we should not trust him. That’s why I had Pepper helping me while you were gone. Where is Pepper?”
“Not going to be too happy with me tomorrow.”
“What happened?”
“I went for drinks and never went back because I was taking care of this.”
“Well that’s nice, leave the one woman behind that I like.”
“I’ll make it up to her.”
“You better, I’m not losing her either.”
Once we were home we both went to change. I was in my room for a little while because it was late and I was tired. I had put on some sweats and a T-shirt when I heard something. I ran downstairs to see glass everywhere.
“Dad” I called carefully as I walked in.
“I’m fine but I can do something to help and I will.” He was putting the suit back on.
“Please be careful.”
“I will” I walked over to him, hugged him through the suit and he kissed my head before the mask went on. Then he was off. I walked over to the couch and picked up a blanket wrapping it around me and laying down. Now all I had to do was wait and worry, and hope that he was able to help people and come back home to me.
I didn’t know when but at some point I fell asleep.
When I woke up dad was in his suit above me.
“Did you get some sleep?”
“Some” I looked at dad to see that he was shot at.
“Are you ok, did you get hurt?”
“I'm fine, the suit keeps me safe, I just need to take it off.”
Dad was trying to get the suit off as I watched when Pepper walked in.
“What’s going on here?”
“Let’s face it. This is not the worst thing you’ve caught me doing.”
“Are those bullet holes?”
“I am fine.”
She walked out and I looked at dad.
“You know, you can’t keep putting us through all of the crazy. I’m pretty sure you are going to give Pepper a heart attack at this point.”
“I know and I am sorry. I promise that I will work on it.”
Later dad and I were working together when Pepper came in and they talked. I quietly listened to them and dad telling her what he needed us to do. Deciding that I could help Pepper get the files he needed. Until she said she quit, and my heart dropped. I knew I could not lose Pepper, she was way too important to me and I knew dad liked her as well.
“Pepper, please don’t quit. I still need you.”
“I will never leave you, Rebekah.”
I could never do everything that Pepper did, she was the best thing that happened in our lives after mom and dad split up.
“You’re going to kill yourself, Tony. I’m not going to be a part of it.”
“I shouldn’t be alive unless it was for a reason. I’m not crazy Pepper, I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it is right.”
“What about Rebekah? Maybe you're alive because of her needing you.”
“I am doing all of this for her. So she does not have to live in a world like this. I want a better world for her.”
“You know you're all I have too you know.” She told him as she walked out.
“I will try to fix this,” I told dad and started after Pepper.
“Rebekah, Please be careful. I don’t know what he is up to.”
“We will don’t worry, I can handle myself and help Pepper. You should be careful as well.”
I walked upstairs to see Pepper waiting for me.
“Are you ready to go, sweetie?”
“I am if you are.”
“Let’s go then and get this.” We walked out to the car and started our way to Stark Industries. I just hoped everything would be alright and I would be able to fix things between Pepper and my dad.
All I knew for sure was I was not going to give up that easy and I would be making the most of it.
“Pepper are you alright?”
“I will be, don’t worry.” The truth was, I was always worried. I was a natural at it I guess because I was good at it.
“You wouldn’t quit would you?” I asked her after a few minutes had passed.
“As much as Tony drives me crazy at times. I don’t think I could ever leave you two. You have become my family. Truth is that walking away from you would be harder than anything else I have had to do with this job. I love you too much to walk away at this point.”
“I love you too Pepper. And I know dad is a lot at times but I also know he does care and alright he is not the best at showing he cares but I know he does and he will always be there. Don’t give up on him just yet.”
“I don’t think I could even if I wanted to.” She quietly said.
“Because you are in love with him?” She quickly looked at me before turning back to the road.
“What?”
“I know you like him more than a boss Pepper and it's fine. The truth is I wouldn’t want him to be with anyone other than you.”
“You really wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all, you two are perfect for one another.”
“Well, maybe you could tell him.”
“Don’t worry I'm on it. As soon as we take care of all of this.”
“Right, one thing at a time I guess.”
“Don’t worry Pepper, things will work out the way they are meant to. I will always believe that. If not I don’t think any of us would ever be alright again.”
With that, we finished the drive to Stark Industries, into the lion’s den.