Peanut // Daughter of Stark

On the Doorstep

(Timeline: Between Iron Man 1 and 2)

July 4, 2001
The chatter of a thousand guests and the clink of champagne glasses filled the Stark building, all anticipating the arrival of their host and his production that was no doubt in place for the holiday. Nothing but the best was expected.

The lights suddenly dimmed, and bright spotlights swept the crowds before latching onto the fountain in the center of the spacious room as if magnetized. The room fell quiet, the collective sound of a thousand guests holding their breaths.

"Ladies hold onto your champagne and gentlemen onto your ladies, and welcome to the most spectacular Independence Day in the history of red, white, and blue."

The voice came from the center of the fountain, and the guests began to cheer and applaud as their host appeared, rising from the center of the fountain in an impeccable three-piece.
Billionaire.
Playboy.
Philanthropist.
His eyes glanced around at his guests, moving from face to face. Hidden behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses, they drifted to a woman in a wonderfully tight blue dress, her hair loose and flowing to frame a stunning face. His lips twitched up almost noticeably, marking her as the night's target. But not at the moment. No, now he has a party to host.

It was almost three hours later when he made his way toward the dark-haired beauty, not bothering to curb his wandering eyes as he approached her. After a few minutes of conversation, he saw his opening and started to bring her up to the bedroom, completing his duties as host with a quick but careless wave toward Pepper, his new assistant, who began the firework display while the true fireworks began upstairs.

At that moment, if Tony Stark had realized what this day would lead to, he may have chosen to do things differently. But it was the Fourth of July, after all. The day had a history of changing the world.

Nine Years Later
"JARVIS, remind me to give Pepper a raise." The dark-haired billionaire groaned to the AI as he grabbed his associate's near-magical hangover cure that was placed next to his bed.

"Sir, that is the three hundred and seventy-fourth time you've reminded me to give Ms. Potts a raise for supplying you with a counter-hangover solution. Do you mean to ever follow through with them all of do you wish for me to remove the memos?" The automated voice responded.

Tony didn't deign to reply, and instead began to stumble downstairs to the living area of his penthouse, where hundreds of feet of mirrored glass allowed him to invisibly watch the passerby below Stark Tower. One glance at the brightness of the summer New York sun at high noon had him turning away down another flight of steps toward the kitchen, where he slumped on a barstool.

"Coffee." He declared to the ever-present AI, scratching his trimmed goatee with a yawn. In some compartment in the kitchen wall, a coffee machine began to whir. Two minutes later, he was enjoying a warm cup of coffee when the sound of Pepper's heels clicked in.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Stark. I see you are up and ready to go." Pepper sighed, flipping through paperwork. "You have a board meeting at four to discuss the plans for the Stark Expo."

Tony groaned, rotating around on the stool and walking toward his lab, Pepper close behind.

"You know what, Pepper? Cancel the meeting. The Expo isn't for another five months or whatever, and I deserve some time off." To accent his point, he let out an over-exaggerated yawn. "You see? No meetings, no saving people, just me, the lab, and my suits. And you, I suppose. But you don't seem to take time off."

"Five months, sir, and you don't give me time off. " At this, Tony waved his hand with a shadow of disbelief.

"Sure I do. You know what? Relax today. Go, um, check the front door security instead of six hours of hardcore scheduling and then take the day off." He gave her a wink and fingergunned as she walked out of the lab before turning to his desk and calling up JARVIS.