Mini Stark (Tony Starks daughter)

Chapter 6 Midnight snack

Tawny slipped quietly down the hall Pepper's shorts tide around her small hips Tony's shirt hanging down around her knees. She peeked around the corner to find that most everyone was already in bed the only one still in the living area was the messy haired man.

Bruce looked up, "hey little one what you doing up?" He said in his quiet soothing voice.

She shrunk back into the shadows digging her her toes into the rug.

"You hungry? I was just going to have a snack before tucking in..."

The girl looked up her eyes shining she hadn't eaten since the burgers at the hospital that was sometime last night. "K-kinda" she whispered eyes wandering back to the floor.

"Well come on then let's go see what Tony has in the kitchen." bruce said smiling. Tawny trailed along behind him, her stuffed wolf wrapped in her arms. "Hmmmm lets see.... you like frosted flakes?"

Tawny shrugged unsure.

"It's ok if you want something else.." Bruce suggested taking her shrug as disinterest.

"I-I'll try the f-f-flakes, I h-haven't had them b-before." She stuttered in reply.

"You've never had frosted flakes?" Bruce asked shocked.

"N-no sir, we c-couldn't a-afford much b-before..." she trailed off looking up worriedly. Tawny never talked about home afraid someone would send her back.

"Where is your home Tawny?" Bruce asked gently, "surely your parents are worried about you..?"

"N-no they're n-not." she replied placing the bowls bruce handed her onto the counter.

"How do you know?" Bruce said as he poured the cereal, hoping to convince her she might be wrong.

"T-they're gone, n-no one t-to m-miss m-me." Tawny looked down guiltily. It wasn't totally untrue but she still felt like she was lying and she hated that.

Bruce caught her guilty expression and looked her in the eyes. "Tawny? Are they truly gone?"

"M-may as well b-be m-mom d-died a-and a-p-parently s-she didn't t-tell my f-father about m-me."

Bruce gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry kiddo" he poured the milk into their bowls and handed Tawny a spoon "alrighty let's eat."

Tawny grinned at him and dug into her food glad he seemed to have let the topic drop. "S-so you're a f-friend of T-Tony's?"

"Oh yeah I'm dr. Bruce Banner, one of the avengers," Bruce replied.

"Oh" Tawny paused a thoughtful look on her face, "s-so the others? t-they're av-vengers t-too? W-which one are y-you?"

Bruce looked at her uncomfortably. The poor kid had flinched with every word Thor had said earlier how would she handle having cereal with 'the other guy'. "Oh uh yeah all except Loki and Pepper. as for me welllll... im uh," he paused worriedly rubbing the back of his neck, "they call me the uh the hulk."

Tawny froze her eyes growing round. "T-the Hulk? Y-you mean the h-huge g-green one th-that yells h-hulk s-smash?"

Bruce chuckled slightly. "yeah I guess that's the one."

Tawny looked him over skeptically, "y-you seem s-so c-calm.... I-I-I guess t-that's a p-perfect e-example of h-how much p-people can h-hide..."

"Sometimes people hide lots of things." Bruce started hoping desperately he could say something to help this girl. "Sometimes even when you think you've uncovered what was hidden it will turn out you've just found one more thing they hide behind. Take anger for example... most of the time someone who seems really angry is simply hiding great pain.."

The girl seemed to ponder that as she took another bite of her cereal. "are y-you in p-pain dr. B-banner?" Tawny asked concern evident on her face.

Bruce gave her a melancholy smile. "You can call me Bruce Tawny." He said in leu of a true answer.

Tawny reached across the counter hesitantly and touched his arm in a comforting manner. "I-it's ok, I u-understand." She whispered before hopping up and placing her dish in the sink. "G-goonight B-Bruce."

"Goodnight Tawny, sweet dreams." Bruce responded quietly as he watched the small girl head back to bed. He couldn't speak for the others but he was already enjoying this small, insightful, little girls company.

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Well I usually don't write em that short but that seemed like the best spot to stop this one see ya soon readers laters