Wee Little Stark

chapter 1

Wee Little Stark

Summary:

James Rhodes was confident in his ability to remain calm in high stress situations. Being best friends with Tony Stark will do that to a guy.

What he is NOT prepared for is a toddler standing on the mansion's doorstep with a letter addressed to Tony.

Rhodey, Tony, Happy, Pepper and JARVIS learn together to care for and love the little Darcy, and together they navigate rougher waters when it's made clear that the baby girl is even more special than they could have guessed.

Notes:

This is my first fic, so be gentle with me please! I'm not sure how long this will be, but it will definitely make it through the Iron Man movie, and possibly the second as well.

Let me know how I'm doing!

i don't feel like this is necessary, but here goes:

all of the character etc belong to marvel, i just mutilated the timelines and destroyed canon. yay!

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

James Rhodes was confident in his ability to remain calm in high stress situations. Being best friends with Tony Stark will do that to a guy.

Stark shows up completely plastered to another board meeting? Eh, nothing to see there.

Stark's newest assistant runs from the Malibu mansions cursing up a blue streak at their former employer? Rhodey can sympathize with that, actually.

He had a similar reaction when he met JARVIS for the first time. Well, he says "met," but Rhodey first faced off with the AI when he tried using his copy of the mansion's key, only to be on the business end of a machine gun that came out of a hidden panel and a computerized British man asking him If he has a scheduled appointment with Sir because if not he was going to have to be asked to leave the premises. After a near heart attack, lots of confused yelling from Tony and scolding from Rhodey because you can't just go around creating AI's goddamn it, Tony, Rhodey was properly introduced to JARVIS, and finally, Rhodey had someone else to help look after Tony.

So yeah, Rhodey was great about keeping a cool head when the situation called for it. Unfortunately, now was not one of those times.

He stared down at the little girl standing on Tony's doorstep, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Rhodey blinked, thinking perhaps his years of friendship with Tony finally cracked his mind. Nope, still there. She looked back up at him, blue eyes almost to large for her face with her wide-eyed curiosity. The toddler was barefoot and wearing a dirty red sundress, and her hair was a giant mess of curls that looked like it hadn't been brushed properly in days. In one hand she held a small blue stuffed robot, and in the other was an envelope.

Rhodey was thankfully saved from his gaping by JARVIS cutting into the impromptu staring contest between the two.

"Sir, might I suggest returning inside? I've detected no threat from the child."

The AI's voice broke through the fog clouding Rhodey's mind, and he ushered the little girl ahead of him into the mansion. He looked incredulously at the nearest security camera when JARVIS's final comment sank in,"Of course she's not a threat! Jeez, she's probably only three for Christ's sake!"

"Two," a little voice piped up. The tiny girl had shuffled ahead of Rhodey, not scared of her new surroundings or Rhodey in the slightest, and determinedly made her way to the sofa where she began to pull herself up on the overstuffed monstrosity.

Returning his focus to the little girl, Rhodey kneeled down so that he was no longer towering over her. He smiled to himself slightly at the little huffing noises she made as she struggled to climb the sofa. She was too damn cute. After another minute of watching the stubborn little girl, she finally made her way onto the cushions and sat up and looked patiently at Rhodey. Mentally giving himself a shake, he was determined to handle this like the proper grown-ass man he was and figure out what the hell was happening. Taking a deep breath, Rhodey engaged the girl.

"What was that, sweetheart?"

"I'm two! Not three, silly," She smiled, her chubby cheeks flushed from her exertion, "I got Jeffrey for my birthday! See?" She thrusted the stuffed robot in front of her, smacking Rhodey in the face with it in her excitement.

Laughing, Rhodey gently pushed the robot out of his face and looked back to the energetic girl, "He's really neat, sweetheart. My name is Rhodey. What's your name?"

"Hi, Rhodey! I'm Darcy!"

"Why were you outside the door, Darcy?"

Darcy looked confused for a moment, before looking down at the forgotten envelope in the hand not clutching Jeffrey. "Momma's friend Dave said to give it to whoever answered the door and to stay with them," she then handed it to Rhodey, whose brow was furrowed in anger as he took it from her. The front of the envelope read Deliver to: Asshole Stark.

"He just left you by yourself? JARVIS?"

"From the security feeds, it appears that a car stopped about halfway down the street where a man exited and took Miss Darcy from the car, then pointed her in the direction of the mansion. The man returned to the car and drove off, and Miss Darcy walked the rest of the way here. I would have traced the car, but it was without proper license plates." Rhodey made a mental note to congratulate Tony later on his coding because the usually unflappable AI sounded very disapproving and a bit angry.

That thought stopped Rhodey cold. Shit, Tony. Tony whose house I am in. Tony who will be back soon. Where there is an abandoned toddler sitting on his couch. He's going to kill me. Rhodey sighed, and closed his eyes and tried to calm his nerves. He opened them again when Darcy spoke up.

"Is there a man in the ceiling?" she looked positively thrilled by the idea, and Rhodey couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm.

"No, sweetheart, that's JARVIS. He's a really smart computer that my friend Tony made."

JARVIS took this moment to properly introduce himself, "Hello, Miss Darcy. As Mr. Rhodes has said, I am an Artificial Intelligence that oversees all of Sir's needs and looks after his protection."

Darcy looked up at the ceiling with awe and giggled a little, "JARVIS you're so cool! You can be friends with me. And Jeffrey! He's a robot too!" She then held up the plush robot to the ceiling, as if showing him off to his fellow robot.

"Thank you, Miss Darcy. I would be honored to have you, as well as Jeffrey as a friend. Us robots must stick together." Rhodey's eyebrows raised in shock. Not only was JARVIS preening at the little girl's praise, but he was good with the kid. What the hell did you program, Tony?

Deciding that the two new friends could get to know one another, Rhodey turned to the envelope in his hand as the AI and toddler chatted in the background. Tearing it open, he found three folded up letters. The first was short, crumpled, and in a horribly messy scrawl.

Hey Asshole Stark,

The kid is yours. You knocked up my ex-girlfriend. She kept the kid. She got in a car crash a couple days ago. Cops gave the kid to me because that's what Cheryl wrote down or some shit. Apparently she was planning on trying to contact you about the kid. So here's your kid. Cheryl left a letter for you.

Have fun, Asshole.

Rhodey's jaw clenched in anger, The asshole couldn't even pack her some clothes? Or some damn shoes? Rhodey immediately moved to the second letter from Cheryl before his anger overwhelmed him. Unlike Dave's letter, this one was clean and neatly written on crisp stationary paper. Her handwriting was pretty, a bunch of loopy letters written out in a bright purple ink.

Tony,

You probably don't remember me, but my name is Cheryl Lewis and we met at a party you threw about three years ago in the summer. It was some ridiculous beach and barbecue theme that was in celebration of you moving into your new mansion.

Anyways, I got pregnant that night and I kept the baby. Your daughter's name is Darcy Marie Lewis, her birthday is April 3rd, and her favorite color is red. I'm only telling you about her now because I can't take care of her anymore. A month ago, I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and given only a few months to live. Darcy is too innocent to have to watch her mother waste away like that.

So if you're reading this, then I'm already dead, and by my own hand. It may be the cowardly way out but I can't stand the thought of waking up each day and wondering if this will be the day my body turns against me.

I know that you're young, and you just inherited Stark Industries four years ago, but I'm begging you to take in Darcy. I grew up in the system, and I don't want that for anyone, especially her. She's so smart, Tony. She started walking when she was six months old and talking in complete sentences when she was one. She's even starting to read. She's taken apart every electronic in my apartment, because she told me she wants to know how they work. A mind like hers would be smothered in children's homes, so please take care of her.

I know the last thing you want right now is to be a father, but I know you'll fall in love with her soon enough. She seems to charm her way into everyone's heart, it's that damned smile, I swear.

If she asks about me, tell her that I love her, and I'll always look after her.

Thank you, Tony.

Cheryl

P.S. She is completely potty trained, so there's no worry about that! :)

Rhodey rubbed his hand over his face, trying to mask his heartbreak from the little girl in front of him. Clearing his throat from the emotion threatening to choke him, he started making a mental list of everything Darcy would need, as well as how soon he could move his things to the mansion. Tony was going to need all the help he could get. That, and Cheryl was right: little Darcy had already wormed her way inside his heart. That damned smile, indeed.

Nodding to himself, Rhodey looked to the third piece of paper, realizing after a moment that it was a paternity test. He sighed in relief when he read the POSITIVE MATCH at the bottom of the sheet. That was one battle they wouldn't have to fight at least.

He returned his focus to the little tot who was still chatting happily with JARVIS. She was lying on her back now, Jeffrey the robot propped up on her tummy as she directed her words toward the ceiling.

"JARVIS? Is Tony your daddy? Since he made you and stuff?"

Rhodey barked a laugh as the AI did the computerized equivalent of spluttering before responding to the inquisitive girl, "No, Miss Darcy. While Sir did create me, he is not my father. You can inquire about it when he returns, if you would like. Sir and Mr. Hogan shall be arriving in five minutes, Mr. Rhodes. I suggest we brace ourselves, Sir has been in SI meetings all morning."

Immediately sobered up by the thought of a grumpy Tony, Rhodey moved to stand so that he could catch Tony before he caught sight of Darcy. Hopefully Happy could help things from devolving into too much chaos.

"Rhodey?" Turning to Darcy, he titled his head in response, "Can I have some juice? I don't even need a sippy cup! Momma says I got steady hands, thats why I can use a grown up cup. And take apart the toaster. And the blender. And lotsa other stuff." Darcy's little ramble brought a smile to his face. Too damn cute. We're all so screwed, he thought.

"Sure thing, sweetheart. I think we have some OJ, that alright?" Nodding, Darcy hopped off the sofa and followed Rhodey to the kitchen, her tiny bare feet silent on the tile floor. Once there, Rhodey reached down to pick up her up by the waist to plop her gently in one of the barstools, silently sending up a prayer of thanks that the chairs had backs and armrests to keep her from falling off.

Darcy giggled as she squirmed in her seat and looked over the edge of one armrest, "Whoa," she giggled again, "look how high I am Rhodey! Momma doesn't have chairs this tall, but this is awesome!"

She looked up at him, eyes shining bright as she continued through her giggles, "Can I sit on your shoulders later? That way I can be REALLY tall!" Darcy raised her arms above her head, as if to make it clear to Rhodey what she wanted.

Laughing, Rhodey moved to the opposite side of the counter to the cabinets so that he could grab a glass for the little tyke. "Of course, sweetheart. I bet Happy will let you too, he's secretly a big softie." He took a couple steps to open the fridge, sighing at its bare shelves, save for the inexplicable lone bottle of OJ. Sure, Tony, he thought as he poured a glass, don't have any basic food, but make sure you have orange juice for screwdrivers when the good booze runs low. Rhodey sighed to himself, making another mental note to go grocery shopping soon. Also childproofing the liquor cabinets would be a good idea. And the workshop. Shit. We have so much to do.

Turning to his little charge to place the glass of juice in front of her on the counter, he watched Darcy's face scrunch up adorably in confusion,"Who's Happy? Is he your friend too? Is Happy really his name?" The last question was paired with a look of suspicion that didn't quite fit on her chubby face.

Before Rhodey could reply, JARVIS spoke up, "Happy is Sir's personal bodyguard, Miss Darcy, and he makes sure that Sir stays safe, much like I do. His given name is Harold Hogan, but he, Sir, and Mr. Rhodes prefer the nickname 'Happy,' instead."

Darcy nodded, seeming to have accepted the AI's explanation. "I'm gonna call him Happy. It's a fun name."

"Very well, Miss Darcy. Mr. Rhodes, Sir and Mr. Hogan have just pulled into the garage, would you like me to tell Sir that he has company?"

Rhodey paused for a moment before deciding, flashing a thumbs up to the nearest security camera so that JARVIS had the OK. He figured whatever preparation Tony had before walking in would help them all greatly.

Moments later, the sound of footsteps and an indignant Tony filtered down the hallway.

"'Company?' Who the hell is here, JARVIS? Rhodey doesn't count as company, you know that."

"I believe that it will be easier for you to simply see, Sir," was the AI's reply, a hint of humor in his voice.

Leaning back against the counter, Rhodey fiddled with the letters in his hands while watching Darcy. She seemed content, sipping her juice while looking around the kitchen, eyes wide at all the shiny appliances. Rhodey chuckled to himself as he recalled her mother's letter telling Tony about how Darcy loved to pull things apart. He hoped Tony was ready to surrender his electronics.

Finally, Tony and Happy rounded the corner to the kitchen, stopping in their tracks at the sight of Darcy sitting at the counter. She looked over to them, and tilted her head in consideration before placing her glass back on the counter. Facing them again, she smiled brightly, and called out to them in a cheery voice.

"Hi! Are you going to be my friends, too?"

The room was silent. Tony blinked, then turned his blank face to Rhodey.

"What the fuck, Rhodey?"

Darcy was back on the giant squishy couch with Jeffrey while the grown ups were whispering in the kitchen. She wasn't sure what they were whispering about, but Rhodey told her everything was okay so she believed him. Plus, she had JARVIS for company. He really was the coolest thing ever.

"Hey Jarvis? Is Tony mad at me?" Sometimes Dave got grumpy at Darcy when Momma had him over for dinner. She didn't know why, but Darcy didn't care since she didn't like him either. But she thinks that Tony is cool, since he made JARVIS and JARVIS was her friend. Even if Tony did have a funny beard.

"No, Miss Darcy, Sir has just had a bit of a shock, is all. He is frustrated, but not at you."

"Good. I don't want him to be mad because he's gonna be my friend. Happy, too."

Darcy was thankful that Tony wasn't mad. She didn't know what to do when other adults got mad. Dave got really angry at Momma right before her birthday last month. He was running around the apartment and yelling, waving a bunch of papers in her Momma's face and asking about some tests Momma got from the doctor. Darcy forgot about it when Dave ran out the door and Momma started crying, but she meant to ask what paternity meant.

When she heard a bunch of footsteps coming her way, Darcy looked down from the ceiling to the adults coming in the room. Rhodey came forward and sat next to her, smiling and her and poked her in the nose with a little 'boop' noise.

"Hey sweetheart, you ok?" He asked. She nodded in response. Rhodey was awesome, Darcy decided. Maybe he'd be her best friend?

"Can I ask you about your Mom?" She nodded again. "Do you know where she is, hun?"

Darcy thought back to what Dave had told her with a frown, "Momma got real sick, that's what the doctor said. So she was driving to go see him to get medicine. But she didn't come home for a long time and then Dave came." She frowned even further at the mention of Dave. He really was very mean. "He said that Momma is okay and that he was taking me somewhere safe, but I don't think she's okay. Momma would have come to get me, but Dave is mean and i think he lies sometimes." Darcy turned her face up to look at Rhodey, her bottom lip wobbling. Maybe he knew about her Momma?

"Do you know where Momma is? You and JARVIS and stuff are really cool but I kinda want Momma." She didn't like the way Rhodey's face got all sad all of a sudden.

Rhodey looked to Tony and Happy, and she noticed that they looked real sad too. They seemed to do that thing that all grownups can do, where they talk to each other but they don't actually say anything. Rhodey cleared his throat after nodding at Tony and Happy, so Darcy looked back to him, knowing that he'd have answers.

"Sweetheart, you were right. Your momma got real sick. When she went to the doctor, she…she got in a car crash. I'm so sorry, sweetheart." Rhodey looked even more sad now, but Darcy was distracted by what he said. She was silent for a few more moments before she spoke, her voice sounding all garbled and quiet.

"Momma's not coming home?" Darcy looked around at the adults, making sure that she heard Rhodey right.

"No honey, she's not. And I am so, so sorry that she isn't." Darcy felt tears on her cheeks as Rhodey kept talking, "You don't have to go live with Dave because we're going to take care of you, ok?" She just nodded, then folded herself up in Rhodey's arms and let herself cry for her Momma.

Chapter 2

Notes:

Oh my goodness! Thank you for the lovely comments already! My heart feels all fuzzy now.

Chapter Text

Tony sat on the couch next to Rhodey staring at the little girl who was fast asleep in his friend's lap. Darcy had sobbed for a good ten minutes before passing out, and the men didn't have the heart to move her since it seemed that Rhodey provided her with some form of comfort. Tony leant forward to rest his arms on his knees, hanging his head down between his shoulders.

"Rhodey, Happy, what the hell am I going to do? I have a kid, a friggin baby, for fuck's sake. What do I…? How…?" He looked up at his friends, pleading with his eyes for help, completely at a loss.

Did Tony ever want to be a father? Well, he honestly never thought about it. He never planned on the whole marriage thing anyways, so he didn't exactly find it a possibility. Now, though? Now, at twenty-five with the weight of Stark Industries on his shoulders? He looked at the baby girl, her tear-stained face all ruddy and surrounded by a mess of curls. Shit, he mused, Cheryl was right. Already love the girl. A small upward quirk of his lips gave away his happiness at the thought. Yes, Tony Stark wanted to be a father. He quickly lost his budding grin at Happy's voice.

"You're not giving her away, right?" Happy's angry tone made it sound more like a command, rather than a question.

Tony flinched back, "No! Of course not! She's my kid. Mine. I want to be her dad. Just…how the hell do I raise a baby girl? I'm not cut out for this shit, Happy." Tony rubbed a hand over his face, taking a deep breath to calm himself before his hysterical voice woke up Darcy.

"Well," Tony turned to Rhodey, who was staring down and the toddler in his lap, rubbing his hand in circles on the girl's back to keep her sleeping. He looked up at Tony and continued, "You may not be cut out for this, but neither is Happy or me. Fortunately for your dumb ass, I've already decided to move in here for the time being to help your sorry ass out. I think between us three we can keep this little rugrat happy and whole, don't you?"

Tony sagged in relief at his best friend's words. Thank the gods for Rhodey, he thought. Smiling, he let a small bud of excitement build in his gut. Us three and my baby girl? This kid is going to grow up awesome.

Happy cleared his throat after Tony spent a few moments staring into the distance with a dopey smile on his face. Gaining his boss/friend's attention, Happy spoke, "Not that I'm not pleased with this, the tyke's adorable, but how do we break it to her that you're her pop?"

Tony's good mood vanished in an instant. Fuck.

Surprisingly, JARVIS inserted himself into the conversation, "While that is an important question, Mr. Hogan, I believe our priorities should be aimed towards Miss Darcy's needs. I have already placed an order for groceries, as I assume she will be hungry when she wakes. I researched many parenting websites for nutritious and child-friendly food, which I have emailed to each of you so you may familiarize yourselves. However, I am unsure as to what type of clothing she will need."

Everyone's eyebrow's raised at the AI's use of "our." Tony softly chuckled, Seems like the kiddo even has JARVIS wrapped around her finger. Looking to Rhodey and Happy, he shrugged, "I guess after she has a snack we can do some online shopping and let herself pick out what she wants to wear. Toys too. JARVIS, go ahead and order a bed and some child-friendly furniture from a nearby store that we can have delivered for tonight, Darcy's not gonna sleep on the couch."

"Very good, Sir. The groceries shall be here within the hour."

"Perfect. I vote that after she has some time to eat and pick out some stuff, then you guys can help me break the ice about be being her old man, sound good?" The other two men nodded, not having any better ideas themselves.

Happy sat down in a chair across from the sofa, his focus on Darcy. Smiling, he shook his head and turned to Tony, "From her ma's letter, she'll probably be content to hang out it your workshop more than anything."

Quietly laughing, Tony smiled in agreement. "Yeah, DUM-E will be glad for a playmate. The rest of the bots will probably be thrilled too if they're going to be as smitten as JARVIS is."

"I simply find her charming, Sir," the AI haughtily replied, "A quality that you do not possess as much as you like to believe you do."

Rhodey and Happy silently shook with laughter, mindful of the sleeping toddler, as Tony spluttered indignantly.

The three men continued to speak quietly, discussing anything that Darcy would need or want, having JARVIS place orders from parenting catalogues that the AI was scouring the internet for.

About an hour later Happy was putting away the delivered groceries while Rhodey was trying to find a way to stand up to go use the bathroom without waking Darcy and Tony was fiddling with Jeffrey, mumbling to himself. Rhodey had to fight the urge to smack his friend when he heard the genius debate the merits of actually making Jeffrey into a real robot, because that'd be so freaking cool, right? Tony was saved from violence when Rhodey felt baby Darcy stir in his lap, making the cutest little snuffling noises as she rubbed her eyes as she woke. Seriously, so. damn. cute. We are FUCKED. Kid's gonna have us so whipped.

When bright blue eyes peered up at him, Rhodey gave her a gentle smile and spoke softly, "Hey, sweetheart, you sleep okay?"

Darcy nodded, then began looking around her as if searching for something. Knowing what she was after, Tony scooted closer to the pair and held out Jeffrey to his daughter.

"Here you go, hun, I just wanted to look at him. Jeffrey's really cool." Darcy smiled at Tony as she took Jeffrey back and sat up, hugging the robot to her chest.

"Thank you, Tony," Darcy's voice was still quiet with sleep, but began to grow in volume as she continued to talk, "He's friends with JARVIS because he needs more robot friends and JARVIS said robots gotta stick together. Jeffrey can't talk like JARVIS, but JARVIS said that's okay and that they can still be friends."

Tony's heart just freaking melted. Looking over Darcy's head, he saw that Rhodey had the same goofy smile on his face that Tony probably did. My kid is the cutest damn kid on this planet. Holy shit.

Before Tony could tell her about the other robots in the mansion, Darcy's tummy let out a ferocious growl that seemed completely out of proportion to her small size. The little girl let out a peal of laughter before mushing her face into Jeffrey to hide her giggles. Chuckling with her, Tony reached out to pick her up and stood with Rhodey as the trio made their way down the hall toward the kitchen.

"Alright kiddo, how about a snack, hmm?" Darcy nodded into Tony's shoulder, giggling as her tummy rumbled loudly once more. Rhodey patted Tony on the back and ruffled Darcy's hair before turning to the open bathroom door.

Realizing that he was alone with his kid for the first time, however briefly, Tony squeezed Darcy closer to him and beamed when she snuggled her head beneath his chin.

"Alright, kiddo, what do you want to feed the monster in your tummy?"

After laughing again, Darcy took a moment to think before responding, "Grilled cheese? And soup?" she asked hopefully.

"That sounds perfect, sweetheart. Let's see if Happy can whip up some for all of us." Tony turned into the open doorway to see the man in question already getting out ingredients, having heard Darcy's voice from the hallway. Nodding in thanks to his employee/friend, Tony set his daughter down on a barstool, grabbing a Stark-pad prototype from a drawer before taking the seat next to her.

Bringing up the internet Tony prepared to search for kid's clothes, only to find several tabs open to children's stores that JARVIS had found. Somehow, his AI had worked some magic so that all the clothes were sized for Darcy's age, saving Tony the trouble. Smiling at a security camera in thanks, he turned the tablet on its side, propping it up so Darcy could see the screen.

"Okay, since you don't have any stuff here, we thought you'd like to pick out some clothes and toys and whatever else you want." Tony looked down at Darcy where he was met with her awe-filled eyes.

"Anything?!" Darcy shrieked, causing Happy to drop the sandwich he was transferring to a plate on the floor. Seeing that Tony was distracted, he hastily picked the sandwich back up and decided that what nobody knew wouldn't hurt them, but made a mental note to give Darcy one that wasn't acquainted with the floor.

Flinching at the new pain in his eardrums, Tony nodded at the excited toddler. "Yup! Go ahead and pick whatever you want and JARVIS will get it delivered to us."

His little girl was practically vibrating in her seat with glee, giggling as she very adeptly navigated the tablet. Tony watched in rapture as he chubby little fingers used the touch screen with ease, smiling whenever Darcy randomly giggled at what she saw.

Rhodey returned from the bathroom, smiling at the image of the father-daughter duo at the counter. Turning to look at Happy, he noticed what the man was making and went to get started on serving up tomato soup for everybody.

The next few minutes were spent in comfortable silence, punctuated every once in a while by Darcy's giggles and happy munching. After everybody had eaten, Darcy continued to scroll through the website before nodding to herself and pushing it back to Tony.

"All done?" He raised an eyebrow in question then turned to look through what his kid had ordered when she nodded. The cart was full of brightly colored sundresses and equally bright patterned tights and leggings to go underneath. Tony didn't think any of the colors or pattens repeated, let alone matched anything else. He didn't mind if his kid wanted to run around like a rainbow explosion, he spent most of his time in dirty jeans and vintage band tee's so it's not like he could make any comment about style. Except for the suits, he mused, I have some damn fine suits. Continuing to scroll through the shopping cart, he smiled as he saw that the pajamas his kid picked fit with her nonsensical color scheme. She's going to glow in the dark with this shit.

"JARVIS? Can you see about getting this stuff delivered, pronto? Darcy's going to need something to change in before bed tonight."

"Certainly, Sir. I have already contacted the clothing store and they are going to have all the items packed and delivered to the mansion by this evening. Also, I received word on the furniture, and it should be here by three o'clock."

Looking at the clock on the microwave, Tony saw that they had just over an hour before Darcy's bed and things arrived. Looking over to Happy and Rhodey, he saw the matching expressions on their faces that seemed to say, Time to own up to being her Dad. Sighing, Tony nodded and turned in his seat to face his little girl.

Darcy was happily sitting in her chair hugging Jeffrey to her chest while looking at the microwave with a level of interest that made Tony weary. Nothing is going to be safe in this house, I just know it.

Tony began hesitantly, not wanting to upset Darcy any more than she already had been. "Hey, sweetheart, can I ask you something?"

"Yup!" She smiled up at him, and his heart broke seeing how trusting and innocent she was.

"Did your mom ever mention your dad? Do you know who he is?"

Darcy's face clouded with sadness at the mention of her mother, but it passed quickly as she thought about Tony's question. "I know Dave isn't my daddy. But that's okay, he's mean to me so I don't care that he's not my dad. Before my birthday he yelled at Momma about some tests she said she got at the doctor. I don't know what paternity means, though. I asked Momma why Dave was mad and she said that he found out about Daddy."

Tony held his breath as she continued, "Momma said that Daddy is really smart and builds stuff, and that's why I like taking apart the toaster. And blender. And the microwave." Darcy smiled sheepishly up at Tony who could only beam back at her in response. "I asked Momma why I never met Daddy and she said because he was real famous so she never got to tell him because he was with fancy people all the time and flew around the world."

Darcy paused, realizing that this conversation was similar to the one earlier about her mom. She looked between Tony, Rhodey, and Happy, before asking them all at once, "Do you know who Daddy is?"

Tony fidgeted as he looked to his friends, but the looks on their faces told him that he wasn't getting any help navigating the conversation with the toddler. Deciding to explain what he knew, Tony pulled out the letters from where he had stashed them in his back pocket, pulling the paternity test from the others and smoothing it out in front of his daughter.

"This is the test your mom got from the doctor, sweetheart. The paternity test." He paused, but continued when Darcy nodded along. "This test can tell you if you're related to somebody. So your mom used it to find out who your dad is. That's why it's called paternity." Darcy smiled at him, happy to have learned something new. Taking her excitement as a good sign, Tony took a deep breath and decided it was time to stop stalling just answer the kid's damn question already.

"So when your mom had the test made, the doctors told her who your dad is when it was finished." Another deep breath, "I'm your dad, sweetheart."

The kitchen was once again filled with silence as Darcy absorbed Tony's words. A full two minutes passed and Tony began to worry that he broke his kid's brains. Panic settled in, What if she doesn't want me to be her dad? She likes Rhodey, does she like him better? What about—

His devolving train of thought was abruptly cut off as he somehow found himself with a chest-full of squealing and wriggling toddler, winding her tiny arms around his neck in a tiny bear-hug.

"THIS IS SO COOL YOU'RE MY DADDY AND I GET TO LIVE HERE AND JARVIS CAN BE MY BROTHER AND HAPPY AND RHODEY ARE HERE AND IT'S GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN!" Darcy continued to screech in Tony's ear, but he tuned out her words and wrapped his arms tight around her.

Thank god, he thought, closing his eyes and pressing a kiss to the top of Darcy's head, thank god she wants me.

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

After several minutes, multiple hugs, and an emergency trip to the bathroom due to an excitable bladder, Darcy had finally calmed down enough that the men no longer feared that she'd hyperventilate. The slight ringing in their ears from her excited shrieking was worth it to see the little girl so happy.

Rhodey couldn't stop smiling as he looked at the tiny family. Darcy had refused to let go of Tony after the big reveal, so she clung to him like a tiny koala as they all toured the house.

Darcy seemed to be impressed with everything, and Rhodey could tell by his friend's smirk that Tony was just so damn pleased with himself. Casting a look at Happy next to him, the bodyguard rolled his eyes in commiseration. Yeah, we're going to have to deal with that damn cocky attitude of his, Rhodey thought to himself.

At their second to last stop, the group toured the second floor of the mansion, letting Darcy decide which room would be hers. Wide eyed and overwhelmed, Darcy steered her father into each room about three times before making her choice. Her new room faced the back of the mansion, a curved wall of windows revealing the frankly outstanding view of the ocean. The room was fairly large, able to fit a large bed, a desk, and a couple love seats to create a comfortable living area. Other than the pieces of furniture the room was bare, seeing as Tony totally forgot that this was even a room, crap, look at that view, so Darcy would get to change it however she wanted once they took out the grownup furniture and replaced it with Darcy's kid-friendly set.

Happy moved to the center of the room, a small furrow on his brow. "I don't like how vulnerable this back wall is. JARVIS? Can we upgrade the glass and beef up the security system?"

"Consider it done, Mr. Hogan. New reinforced windows will be delivered in three days' time. As for the security, I will create new subroutines to ensure that Miss Darcy's security is always maintained at the highest level of sensitivity around the clock."

Pleased, Happy turned back to his friends wore impressed faces at his requests. Even little Darcy nodded at him from over Tony's shoulder as if she also approved of her new upgrades. Chuckling at the adorable girl's antics, he addressed his next question at her.

"So, kiddo, you going to pick a color for the walls, or what?"

Happy felt like he was the greatest man in the world at the look of complete adoration Darcy gave him. The idea of painting her room seemed to momentarily shock her into silence, unable to make noise except for tiny gasps of excitement.

The men laughed at the toddler, feeling as if her joy was contagious. The noise seemed to startle Darcy's mouth back to functioning, and began to ramble without pause for breath.

"I get to paint the walls? Can I have the ceiling look like SPACE?! Can I paint the walls AND the ceiling? Is it okay for the walls to be blue?!" Darcy took a deep breath after her barrage of questions, her tiny lungs unable to hold both that level of volume as well as the amount of words for any longer.

Still laughing, the men turned back to the hallway and Tony patted one tiny leg that was wrapped tightly around his ribcage as he responded. "Sure thing, sweetheart. I think a space ceiling sounds awesome. JARVIS, be a dear and find some good artists for Darcy's room?"

"Of course, Sir."

Darcy looked up to the ceiling, "Thanks JARVIS! You're the best!"

"Thank you, Miss Darcy. You are very kind." Tony scoffed at his AI's preening.

Clapping his hands together, Tony turned to his companions who were shadowing him, smiling at Darcy's giggle at being spun around so quickly.

"Okay everybody, brace yourselves. It's time to see the crowning achievement of this place—next to you, JARVIS, you're still one of my favorites."

"Yes, that warms my heart greatly, Sir." Tony swears that if he had been able, JARVIS totally would have rolled his eyes just then.

"Where are we going now, Daddy?" The little voice in his ear almost brought him to his knees with the amount of love he could hear in Darcy's words. Daddy. Holy shit. I'm done for. This kid has her tiny hand wrapped around my heart and this is the best feeling in the world.

Tony broke himself away from his thoughts when he saw Rhodey raise a mocking eyebrow at him. Ah, must of had that dopey smile on my face again. Like the mature adult he was, Tony stuck out his tongue in retaliation before turning away and making his way to the stairs. As the group descended to the main floor, then to the basement, Tony explained to Darcy.

"Okay, pumpkin! Do you like the name pumpkin?" Tony felt Darcy shake her head 'no' as she giggled on his back. He shrugged, unaffected, "It's okay, we'll work on finding you an adorable nick name later. I was just testing that one out. Anyways! We're headed to my workshop! Or lab. Really it can be called either. Your mom was right when she said I build stuff. I own a big company and they sell the stuff I make. Most of what I make gets sold to the army and stuff, so that the soldiers have the best tech available to help them out. Following along?" A small nod against his shoulder, and Tony continued.

"I make other stuff too, like the tablet that you ordered clothes on. I'm still testing that, so no one else has one, just me. I'm also working on other stuff, called green energy, which means it's used to make stuff work, but it's clean and doesn't pollute the earth." Tony paused his speech as he came to the lab's door, typing in the passcode. He made a mental note to add another keypad lower on the frame so that Darcy could use one herself while she was still pint-sized.

When the light on the pad turned green and the door clicked as it unlocked, Tony smiled to himself, knowing that this next bit was going to blow his kid's mind.

"Wanna know what else is in here?" He paused, and continued after he felt another nod against his shoulder. "I have more robots!"

Tony cursed under his breath as Darcy began screeching in his ear once more.

"MORE ROBOTS?! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER CAN I MEET THEM DO THEY TALK LIKE JARVIS DOES WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES—" Before Tony suffered permanent hearing loss, he felt Darcy being removed from his back and watched Rhodey step beside him with a squirming toddler in his outstretched arms. Smiling at Tony, Rhodey set Darcy on her feet where she proceeded to bounce on her toes and cackle like a tiny mad scientist.

"If there was any doubt that she was yours, I think that reaction would have erased it," Rhodey mumbled. Happy snorted a laugh behind them.

Tony, who couldn't help but laugh at Darcy's excitement, kneeled down to put his hands on her shoulders as she quieted, making sure she was making eye contact before he gave her some ground rules.

"Okay, child of mine. I know you're excited to meet the 'bots," Darcy nodded so quickly Tony briefly worried about whiplash, but he pressed on. "I just need you to follow some rules in here, ok? Great. So there's lots of cool stuff in the workshop, but you have to remember that a lot of it is dangerous too. None of it is made for tiny hands like yours." Tony chuckled as Darcy held up her hands in front of her face, frowning as if just now realizing that yes, her hands were in fact quite tiny.

"Even though you don't have any right now, I want you to make sure that you wear shoes in the lab, since there's always a lot of stuff on the floor. And ask me before you grab anything, okay? I don't want you accidentally getting hurt." Darcy nodded, but resumed her cackling as Tony stood to push open the door. This kid and robots, what the hell?

Reaching down for her hand, Tony led the group into the lab.

This was the best. day. ever.

Darcy was still sad about her Momma not coming home, but she let herself be happy at finding her Daddy and three new friends today. Or was JARVIS her brother? She'd ask him later.

Almost more exciting than all that, though, were the robots lined up in front of her and her Daddy.

Robots. So cool.

DUM-E was the biggest, and he was basically a big claw on wheels. Darcy had to tilt her head back to look at him in the…face? Where he had a little camera. Darcy wasn't sure why he was carrying a fire extinguisher, but she guessed he had it just in case.

U looked like DUM-E, but had a smaller claw and a bigger camera-face, and a computer attached to the front with a keyboard. She asked if that made him smarter than DUM-E, but her Daddy just laughed and said that he uses U to record experiments and stuff.

Last was Butterfingers, who was a bit smaller than the other two robots and had two claw arms, and two cameras on top like eyes. Daddy had told her to be careful when she hands stuff to Butterfingers because he drops stuff a lot. Darcy didn't ask why that was when the robot had extra eyes and hands.

None of the robots could talk like JARVIS could, but they all seemed to understand when they were spoken to, and could make a bunch of happy beeps and whirrs in response.

"Okay, minions, listen up! This here is Darcy, my daughter. Please note that she is small. So very small. Since she is so small, she is not as durable as me, so please find it in your coding to practice lab safety when she is here. I'm looking at you, Butterfingers." Her Daddy sent a funny look to the robot, who made a sad whirring noise in response.

Quickly, though, Butterfingers perked up and rolled to Darcy, his camera eyes zooming in on her face. DUM-E and U followed his lead, surrounding Darcy and staring just as intently. Darcy shifted on he feet, looking at each robot before speaking.

"Hi! Wanna be friends?"

The 'bots all of a sudden made a whole bunch of happy beeps and whirrs at her, and each other, before extending their claws to pat Darcy on the head in greeting. Darcy lost her breath in a fit of giggles, which only seemed to please the 'bots even more as they kept making happy noises.

From behind her, she could hear her Daddy laughing with Rhodey and Happy.

"Told you they'd be thrilled."

Chapter 4

Notes:

Ah! You guys are so sweet. Thank you for reading! While I'm loving all the fluff here, I'm going to start getting into more plot after I introduce Pepper next.

I needed some fluff after I made baby Darcy cry. That was uncool of me.

Chapter Text

The next several weeks were a whirlwind in the Malibu mansion. The days were filled with toddler-proofing the house (made all the more challenging by said toddler's eerily high intelligence), rearranging furniture, painting Darcy's room, and family time.

Three men, one AI, and one energetic two year old may not have been a normal family, but they made it work. Rhodey was there for cuddles and naps when little Darcy got sad at reminders of her Momma. Happy let the tyke ride around on his back as he worked on his and Tony's hot rod collection, answering all of her questions and letting her honk the horns. JARVIS was more than pleased to be a teacher to Darcy, having designed his own curriculum for his new favorite human that matched her superior intelligence. And Tony, well Tony was just the luckiest bastard of them all.

Darcy followed Tony around like a second shadow, often holding onto his pant leg with one hand and Jeffrey in the other. Her bright clothes were often smudged with grease from spending most of her time in the lab with him, using her own tiny tool set he made for her as she learned the ins and outs of simple mechanics. More often than not, Rhodey or Happy would find the duo sitting side by side at Tony's workbench, wearing matching welding masks and creating something new together. Jeffrey was kept safe out of reach of any sparks or grease, as Butterfingers had taken a shine to the stuffed robot and kept him out of harm's way when Darcy came to the lab.

As the weeks passed, Tony noticed a change in his 'bots behaviors. Where before they remained in the lab at all times, now Tony was hearing them rolling around the mansion, poking their 'heads' in rooms and retreating again. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Tony followed U after the 'bot had peeked into the kitchen where Tony was grabbing some much needed coffee.

U rolled down the hall, peeking into each room he passed before rolling forward again. Tony kept pace behind him, keeping his steps quiet so that U wouldn't notice him. After a couple more minutes of searching the first floor U made his way to the mansion's elevator and pressed the call button, waiting patiently for the door to open. With a gentle ding, the doors opened for U who rolled inside. Turning around, the 'bot pushed the button for the top floor and waited for the doors to close. Noticing Tony, U made a small beep in greeting, as well as a jaunty wave as the doors closed.

Blinking, at a loss of what just happened, Tony made his way to the stairs to see what the hell his 'bot was up to. Skipping steps as he jogged up to the second floor Tony had just reached the landing as he heard the ping of the elevator doors open. Poking his head around the corner, he watched in quiet fascination as U rolled down to Darcy's open door and continue inside.

Taking a fortifying sip of his coffee, Tony followed U to his daughter's room and froze at what he saw inside.

"JARVIS," he whispered, "Two things. One, please tell me you're recording this. And two, get Happy and Rhodey up here, quietly." He received a quiet chime in response, JARVIS letting him know that he was following his instructions. Moments later, the quiet footsteps of his friends were heard in the hall.

Without moving his eyes from the scene in front of him, Tony put a finger to his lips to keep the other men quiet then pointed to the scene in front of him. Tony heard Rhodey huff out an amused breath once he flanked Tony's side in the doorway.

Inside Darcy's room, the toddler sat with her legs crossed on the floor in front of a very happy-sounding DUM-E.

A very pink, DUM-E.

Darcy was wielding a paintbrush with as determination as a two year old possibly could, making a bright pink mess of both her and the 'bot. DUM-E's base was covered in silver glitter, while the rest of his frame was being covered in an assaulting shade of hot pink.

Looking out of the windows, Butterfingers held Jeffrey in one claw away from his own painted body. Where DUM-E had the single shade of pink, Butterfingers had alternating stripes of purple and green. Little drops of paint periodically plopped on the floor, but this went unnoticed by the 'bot, who seemed at peace watching the ocean from Darcy's windows.

U, who apparently knew to be patient and to wait his turn for a paint job, rolled to Darcy's bookshelf and grabbed a book at random. Squinting his eyes, Tony was able to make out the title, The Giving Tree. Taking the book in his claw, U rolled to Darcy's desk and propped the book against the computer. Gently, U opened the book, turning the pages every minute or so.

Tony didn't know what to make of that. U was reading. Reading. A children's book. And by the sounds of his beeping, he was enjoying it too. Looking to Rhodey and Happy to see if they understood what was happening, he was met with matching shocked expressions from both men. Right, well at least we're all on the same page then.

"Okay, DUM-E! You're all done now!" Darcy giggled up at the robot who patted her head in thanks, rolling over to meet U at the desk. After a series of beeps between the 'bots, U nudged the book toward DUM-E and made his way to Darcy.

"What's your favorite color, U?" The robot whirred a low noise of consideration, looking down at the array of colors placed in front of the little girl. After a few more moments of deliberation, U grabbed a cup of deep red and handed it to Darcy.

"Ooooh, pretty! Red is my favorite too!" Wasting no more time, Tony watched as his daughter promptly grabbed a new brush to start giving U a make over.

Smile on his face, Tony slowly and silently backed out of the doorway, Rhodey and Happy following in his wake. Once a safe distance from the room, the three men looked at one another before simultaneously breaking out into quiet disbelieving laughter.

"I just…what the hell, Stark? That was so fucking cute but what the hell?" Rhodey kept shaking his head, eyes distant as he thought back to the scene in Darcy's room.

"I have no idea! I knew the 'bots loved her, and she was crazy about them, but this is a whole new level of weird. U was reading. Reading, Rhodey! I didn't know he knew how to do that! And apparently the bot's have favorite colors?" Tony scratched at his beard before taking a deep swallow of his coffee, hoping the elixir of life could clear this up for him.

"If I may, Sir," JARVIS's voice floated from the nearest speaker, "I believe I possibly have some answers for you gentlemen?" Waiting until Tony had nodded, JARVIS continued. "Miss Darcy's presence in the lab since her arrival and resulting interaction with the 'bots appears to have…awakened, for lack of a better term, latent personalities within them." Tony quirked one incredulous eyebrow, gesturing for JARVIS to continue while he gulped down the rest of his coffee, deciding that it was most definitely necessary for processing this information.

"When you created DUM-E, U, and Butterfingers as low-level AI's, they had basic coding to allow for learning and adaptation to their environments. That is why DUM-E now knows how to use the fire extinguisher, and Butterfingers knows which tool you need when you ask for it by name. Since their creation, they never left the lab, and only had you, Mr. Rhodes, and Mr. Hogan for company. You only truly interacted with them as assistants, and Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Hogan acted much the same. However, Miss Darcy talks to the 'bots as if they were people. This distinction lets them observe her behavior, and they listen to her when she speaks. I'm not sure if you've noticed, Sirs, but Miss Darcy often speaks her thoughts aloud. When she does so, the 'bots are able to see the reasons and motivations behind her actions, adding to their learning process. Not only does Miss Darcy speak to them, she also asks them questions. Unlike you, Sir, Miss Darcy never asks anything rhetorical, and is always interested in their responses. This is how they have come to learn things about themselves. That Butterfingers likes to watch the ocean and has become fond of Jeffrey, U has found a love for Miss Darcy's children's books, and DUM-E feels most content when in Miss Darcy's company. Your daughter, Sir, is teaching them how to be alive."

Total silence followed the metaphorical bomb JARVIS just dropped on all their heads. Silently, the three men looked to each other in wide eyed shock, jaws on the floor.

Happy broke the silence first, hand over his eyes as if visual stimuli was too much at the moment.

"Okay, just, give me a moment here. What you're saying, JARVIS, what you're saying is that Darcy, two year old Darcy, her influence is making formerly barely-functioning robots into people." Happy grunted, not entirely sure what to make of the information.

"While that is a rather base way to explain what is happening, I believe the answer is yes. Miss Darcy is quite a special child."

Rhodey leaned back against the wall, tilting his head back so it was supported, mumbling about goddamn Starks and their inability to be fucking normal about anything.

Tony, still absorbing his AI's words, was broken out of his reverie by Darcy's laughter floating down the hall. A smile began to grow on his face, until the man was simply beaming at his friends.

"My fucking kid, guys. She's the best."

A beat of silence.

Suddenly, all three men broke out into loud guffaws, none mentioning the happy tears on each other's faces.

Darcy, little ball of energy baby Darcy, was the best goddamn thing in the world.

Chapter 5

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Virginia "Pepper" Potts faced herself in the bathroom mirror at the Stark Industries Malibu office, giving herself a pep-talk. She had been Mr. Stark's PA for six months now, and it was time for her performance review.

"You are Pepper goddamn Potts. You do not get flustered at your boss' handsome face. You remember that you have seen that handsome face black-out drunk at galas and charity functions alike. You know that SI's efficiency has tripled since you were hired. You are Pepper fucking Potts, and you kick this job's ass."

Satisfied, Pepper nodded to herself, straightened her blazer, tucked an errant wisp of hair behind her ear, and strode out of the bathroom with a level of confidence and competence that she had perfected over the years. The clacking of her Louboutin shoes on the tile echoed through the wide hallways, turning heads as she passed.

Smirking to herself, Pepper raised her chin and continued on her way while repeating her pep talk to herself as she neared Mr. Stark's door.

All of her swagger and confidence abruptly vanished as she looked to her desk next to his door on instinct.

There, sitting on her immaculate desk, was the cutest little girl Pepper had ever seen. The girl was wearing a hot pink dress with navy tights dotted with white stars, her little feet wearing itty bitty purple Doc Marten boots. Her hair was unruly with its curls, creating a wild dark halo around her face. Propped against her side was a plush blue robot, looking as if it was well loved.

Looking around the open space, Pepper frowned as she failed to see an adult accompanying the little girl. Deciding that Mr. Stark could wait a few minutes, she approached the girl.

"Hi, there, sweetheart! I'm Pepper, what's your name?"

The little girl looked up and beamed, "Hi! You have a pretty name. I'm Darcy! This is Jeffrey." She held the stuffed robot out, and giggled when Pepper grabbed his hand to shake in greeting.

"It's lovely to meet you both, Darcy. But why are you all by your self? Do you have a parent with you?" Pepper looked around again, straining her ears for any incoming footsteps. Hearing nothing, she looked back to Darcy who had begun swinging her legs where they hung off the edge of the desk.

"Don't worry, my Daddy is here. He said he had to go potty but he'll be back real soon."

Pleased, Pepper moved around so that she could sit in her desk chair, deciding that she would wait until the girl's father arrived before she would meet with Mr. Stark. Surely, he would understand. The man was an ass, but certainly not heartless.

Spinning around to face Pepper, Darcy folded her legs in front of her, smiling to herself as she poked around Pepper's jar of multi-colored pens. Pepper opened a drawer and pulled out a legal pad, handing it to Darcy.

"Here, you can draw if you like." Smiling, Darcy eagerly took the paper and pulled a purple pen from the jar.

"I like that you have fun pens. All the other people just have black ones. They're boring."

Pepper chuckled lightly, and watched as the little girl began covering the paper in smiley faces, holding the pen with a level of dexterity that just astonished her.

"So what does your Dad do here, Darcy?"

Darcy paused in her drawing to smile up at Pepper as she answered. "He builds stuff! It's really cool. He let's me help and I get to take other stuff apart. Daddy says it's a 'learning process,' but I just think it's fun." She looked back down to the pad of paper in her lap and returned to her drawing, her little pink tongue between her lips in concentration.

"Well, since the R&D department is right below this floor, whenever you come with your Dad you can come up here and visit if you'd like." Pepper wasn't sure what compelled her to make the offer to the toddler, but it felt right. Maybe she'd start keeping candy in her desk as a bribe.

Pepper was broken out of her planning as the pen and paper clattered to the desk as Darcy jumped up in excitement.

"Really?! We can be friends?!" Darcy was bouncing on her toes, her little chubby face flushed in her excitement.

Laughing with the animated little girl, Pepper nodded, "Of, course! Us ladies have to stick together, don't you think?" Pepper only received a victorious yell in response, soon followed by a lap full of wriggly Darcy.

Darcy wrapped her arms around the older woman, chatting excitedly about all the cool lady stuff they could do together. Pepper just smiled, squeezing the girl to her chest and nodding along.

Her little bubble of happy was popped by Mr. Stark's office door slamming open, startling both of the girls. Pepper sucked in a breath in order to explain to her boss, when Darcy's chipper voice beat her to it.

"Daddy!"

Daddy?

Pepper froze and stared dumbly at Mr. Stark as Darcy leapt from her lap and ran to him, wrapping her little arms around his legs.

"Pepper said we can be friends, Daddy! Since we're both ladies and ladies gotta stick together. Like JARVIS and the 'bots! Isn't that awesome?!"

Said older lady was still stuck on the connection between Mr. Stark and 'Daddy.'

Mr. Stark reached down and hoisted Darcy into the air, giving her a little toss that threw her into a fit of giggles. Swinging the girl on his back, Mr. Stark looked over and smiled at the baffled woman, Darcy beaming at her over his shoulder.

"Come inside, Miss Potts, you and I have some things to discuss."

Pepper Potts was not a woman to be easily cowed. She directed board meetings with an iron fist with manicured nails and designer nail polish. Her steely gaze left chairmen quaking in their boots, her lethal competence in business management a force to be feared. She was Pepper goddamn Potts, and she had nerves of steel.

Unfortunately, Pepper goddamn Potts felt like an unruly schoolgirl in the principal's office at the moment, sitting in one of the chairs in front of Mr. Stark's desk feeling four sets of eyes on her. Five, if one was to include JARVIS, the omniscient AI that he was.

Mr. Stark sat in his ridiculous desk chair, the ostentatious leather wing back making him look like a cheap Bond villain when he steepled his fingers under his chin, narrowing his eyes at her.

Rhodey, whom Pepper had developed a great friendship with, stood at parade rest over Mr. Stark's right shoulder, his professional mask not betraying an ounce of familiarity.

Happy stood behind Mr. Stark's other shoulder, matching Rhodey's cool stance.

Lastly, there was Darcy. The little girl sat in the chair next to Pepper, beaming up at the older woman, giving her the confidence to keep her professional mask on, not letting one bit of nerves show through to the men.

She was Pepper fucking Potts, and she could handle any shit the world threw at her.

The silence was broken by JARVIS, "Sir, I believe that Miss Potts can be trusted. She has been unfailingly loyal to both you and SI, and her presence has benefited SI greatly since she has been hired. Thusly, increasing your profits."

Pepper gave a small smile to the security camera in the corner, "Thank you, JARVIS, that means a lot to me."

"Of course, Miss Potts."

Mr. Stark snorted and rolled his eyes, "Quit flirting you two, there are innocent ears present." Straightening up, he winked at his daughter, Mr. Stark has a daughter she could not get over that at ALL, and turned to meet Pepper's eye.

"So here's the deal Miss Potts. You're being let in on my big secret. Our big secret. Since Darcy just turned three, we still have a year or so before we have to think about putting her in a real school, no matter how much JARVIS wants to keep her under his tutelage forever."

The AI cut in indignantly, "Certainly, Sir, but let's not forget about the three near-panic attacks you had last week when Mr. Hogan first brought the topic to light."

Pepper muffled a laugh behind her hand as Mr. Stark's face turned bright red in embarrassment, before he continued as if he had not been interrupted.

"So, despite that window of time we have, it's still imperative for Darcy's safety that it isn't made public that she is my kid. There's too much pressure under the Stark name, and I won't have that on her. Not to mention the enemies I have out there, corporate and otherwise. If I find out that you let word slip, that Darcy's safety has been compromised in any way, I will make your life a living hell."

Nodding along, Pepper felt the gravity of the situation, and knew that she would do whatever it took to look after Darcy. This little girl was special, and was blessed to have these men be so fiercely protective of her. Not only them, but an unparalleled AI that had free access to the world's internet, created by one of the smartest men on the planet. Pepper shuddered at the thought of what damage JARVIS could do if he truly desired. Turning her head to look at a now napping Darcy, Pepper's shudder halted and she smiled in its wake. Yes. Let's keep that thought in our back pocket for now. Lifting her determined gaze to her boss, she gave him a smile worthy of a protective lioness.

"I understand completely, Mr. Stark."

He searched her gaze, and smiled slowly as he found what he was looking for. Nodding to her, he leaned back in his ridiculous chair, his walls down, finally relaxed.

"I think you can start calling me Tony, Miss Potts."

Pepper returned his unguarded smile, "Then call me Pepper."

Neither noticed the other men rolling their eyes in synch with one another. JARVIS, however, gave a little happy hum in his coding at what he saw. Yes, the thought, This will be good.

The following month saw Pepper at the mansion almost daily, both for work and for spending quality 'girl time' with Darcy. Her first order of business was helping the little girl manage her hair, because apparently a mansion full of three adult men and an AI couldn't figure out anything past running a brush through the girl's curls.

One memorable occasion had the men of the house sitting on the sofa, raptly paying attention to Pepper as she instructed them how to do simple hair-do's for little Darcy. Happy even took notes on the different types of braids.

Pepper made sure that each man kept a few hair-ties and a small brush on hand at all times because Darcy was a whirlwind on the best of days, and her hair needed to be pulled away from her face so the poor girl could see where she was going.

After everyone had mastered the art of styling the toddler's hair, Pepper introduced Darcy to little fun girly things such as nail polish. Sure, Darcy was young, but the girl loved bright colors and Pepper couldn't bring herself to deny the girl something fun. Ever since, Darcy's nails were always an array of colors, often sporting polka-dots and stripes as well. Pepper also had the men learn how to paint nails and was pleased with the results. Rhodey was surprisingly apt with a nail brush, so she made a mental note to have him do her touch ups from then on.

Pepper was thrilled with her life at that time. Tony was still a man trollop, but she got to see behind the walls to the real man. His constant use of the media like a three ring circus was orchestrated so that no one looked too close to home, to Darcy. Rhodey and Happy became the brothers she never had, willing to commiserate with her over a glass of wine at the Stark's antics. Finally, she found a surprising confidant in JARVIS. The AI was far wiser than she had anticipated from her limited exposure to him at the offices, but in the mansion, he was alive. He listened to Pepper rant when she needed to, and gave her sage advice in return. Pepper also listened to him wax poetic about the tiny Stark's progress with her schooling, always bringing a smile to her face as she heard him dote on her throughout the day.

Yes, things were good. Spectacular, even. But all of those good feelings came crashing down as the adults sat around the kitchen table for a glass of wine, congratulating one another on successfully getting Darcy to take a bath and go to bed with minimum fuss. Silencing everyone's laughter with only seven words, JARVIS spoke.

"Sir, Mr. Stane is on his way."

Notes:

dun dun dunnnnnn

no one likes obadiah. universal fact.

Chapter 6

Chapter Text

The house was so silent after JARVIS' announcement, Rhodey could have sworn he could hear Darcy's soft snores from upstairs. Placing is wine glass on the table, he ran a hand over his face and gathered his thoughts.

It was an unspoken agreement that Obadiah Stane was a little shady. While he had been with Tony's dad from almost the beginning of SI, everyone seemed to see that Stane's guiding hand on Tony's shoulder grew a little stifling where it was once a source of comfort. Something had changed in the man, making him colder, harsher.

Tony couldn't get rid of the guy, because despite the bad vibes he gave off, Tony had known Stane since he was a kid. That many years of family ties can't just be snapped in one moment. Rhodey kept a weary eye on Stane for Tony, though. Just in case his friend had one of his rare bouts of nostalgia and put a little too much trust in Stane again.

Looking between Happy, Pepper, and Tony, Rhodey knew they were all thinking along the same lines.

They had been lucky that Stane had been gone for the last year, taking back to back to back trips, visiting each and every SI base on the globe personally to judge their progress. Pepper kept the line of communication open between Tony and Stane, but seeing as SI offices were almost 100% self-sufficient, not much contact was needed. Hence, the group being caught by surprise and Stane's sudden appearance.

"He hadn't sent any word of coming back," Pepper said, eyes wide. She took a gulp of her wine to punctuate her statement, and Rhodey could see her train of thought.

Stane was coming here, to the mansion, where Darcy was. No one was dumb enough to not realize Stane's probable reaction to the newest Stark. He was always covetous of first Howard's, then Tony's intellect. Stane saw their genius as his money ticket, his way to the top.

Rhodey shook his head, wondering how and why the Starks brought Stane into their fold to begin with. Even Happy, the most unbiased bastard that there was, was able to smell Stane's rottenness from their brief contact over the years. The man had good instincts, and Happy made sure to trust them with all he had. Rhodey learned over time that Happy was hardly, if ever wrong, so when Happy said Stane was trouble, Rhodey kept a weather eye out for any shit storm on the horizon.

Tony swirled his wine in his glass, watching how the low light reflected off of the jewel tone red of the drink. After throwing it back all at once, Tony placed the glass gently on the table, then dropped his head rather unceremoniously to the surface with a loud thunk. Rhodey winced in sympathy.

"Shit. Fuck. Goddamn it all. How could I possibly forget about Obadiah?" Tony reared up, meeting everyone's eye, searching for answers. Groaning, Tony dropped his head to the desk again. "Stane's going to spew at that 'heir of SI' shit to my baby girl, isn't he?"

Rhodey nodded even though his friend couldn't see, dread pooling like ice shards in his stomach. Stane's pressure, along with Howard's, brought Tony to a near mental break back at MIT when Tony was just a punk kid.

"She has all of us though, Tony," Rhodey reassured, "He can't pull that crap with her like he did with you because he'll have to get through all of us." Pepper and Happy nodded in agreement on either side of him.

"Besides," Happy drawled, "I personally would love to see the tyke deliver her own brand of sass to Stane. You can barely keep up and she's your damn kid," he laughed, "The old shit's not gonna know what to do with a hyper-intelligent three-year-old."

Pepper let out an inelegant snort at the mental image as Tony sat up with a smile.

"Okay, yeah. Yeah, we can do this. Family loyalty to Stane aside, he's gotta deal with us before the chump can even get to my kid."

"Not to mention, Mr. Stane will also have to get through me," JARVIS added.

The hair on the back of Rhodey's neck stood on end at JARVIS's voice. He had never heard the AI sound so cold and dangerous. Meeting Happy's raised eyebrow with a his own, the two seemed to have the same thought.

Yeah, we got this.

They didn't have this at all.

Darcy? The kid sure as hell had the situation handled.

Stane arrived the night before, quickly saying a hello to everyone before retiring to his usual guest room claiming tiredness from the plane ride. Thankfully, Stane's room was at the opposite end of the mansion than Darcy's.

Tony, Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey met in the kitchen earlier than usual by unspoken agreement. Nodding to one another, they braced themselves with coffee and the solidarity of their protectiveness for Darcy as they waited for Stane to come down.

What followed was a grueling ten minutes of small talk, where Stane boasted his leadership abilities he displayed at several SI offices and gossiped about other board members to Tony.

Rhodey watched his friend twitch nervously from the corner of his eye, mentally begging the man to calm the hell down. While he understood Tony's anxiety, it wasn't going to help them when Darcy came down for breakfast.

As if on cue, everyone in the kitchen stilled as the soft ping of the elevator echoed down the hall. Stane raised his eyebrows at Tony in question.

"Another conquest, Tony? You sly dog," Stane winked grossly at Tony while Happy snorted into his coffee and Pepper's face turned bright red. Rhodey simply rolled his eyes and hoped that the universe could speed this up a bit. It was painful.

Clearing his throat, Tony rubbed the back of his neck as he replied, "Uh, no. Not in the slightest actually."

Before Stane question him, Tony walked to the kitchen doorway just as a little sleepy Darcy walked in, flanked by the 'bots at her sides.

Rhodey could feel the goofy smile that was becoming more common than not when Darcy was around appear his face, and saw it mirrored on everyone else's, barring Stane.

Lifting up her arms, Darcy silently requested for her father to pick her up for a morning cuddle. After getting her hug, she blearily looked over to Pepper and stretched out her arms for a cuddle with the woman. From Pepper Darcy moved to Happy, then to Rhodey, before reaching for her father once more. When she was back in Tony's arms, she rubbed her little hands in her eyes to wake herself up. As if seeing the kitchen and its inhabitants for the first time, Darcy smiled at Tony.

"Good morning, Daddy."

Stane spit his coffee clear across the counter, hitting Happy with some of the spray. Without taking his eyes off of the unfolding scene, Rhodey tossed a towel to his friend to help him out.

At the sound of Stane's spluttering and choking, Darcy turned her head, seeing Stane for the first time. Blinking at him a couple times, she patiently waited for him to say something first. The adults of the house learned fairly quickly that their little girl didn't fully wake up until at least nine o'clock, but she preferred to wake up with everyone else because she liked their company.

Stane's eyes flicked rapidly between Tony's face and Darcy's, mind running a thousand miles per hour. Seeming to gather his wits and composure after a few more moments of consideration, Stane plastered on a charming smile that looked plain wrong at seven in the morning, and proceeded to greet Darcy.

"Well who might this lovely lady be, hmm?" There's the slimy bastard we all know and love, Rhodey smirked to himself. His confidence was growing as he watched Darcy, her face becoming more and more unimpressed by the moment.

"Surely, Tony, you would have told me about such this stunning little lady of a daughter as soon as you were made aware?" Stane didn't even wait for an answer as he continued, "I bet she's just as smart as her Pop, eh? Another Stark heir to the line! This is good news, son." Tony flinched at Stane's address, never have been comfortable with Stane's attempt at a father-son-like relationship.

Before Tony could respond, Darcy spoke up.

"Why are you so loud? It's morning." The expression on her face told Stane that there would be absolutely no tolerance for his shit before noon. Beside him, Pepper's shoulders shook with silent laughter.

Yeah, their girl would be just fine.

After The Breakfast, Yes, Rhodey, the capitals are totally necessary, the group moved to the living room where the household adults, as well as JARVIS, explained with deadly seriousness how important it was that Darcy remained out of any media attention, and that she would only be made known as a Stark if she wanted to when she was of age.

It took more effort than Rhodey was comfortable was with, but the man finally caved when JARVIS began contributing more and more to the debate until he was leading the whole thing. Stane would never say it, but everyone knew that he was terrified of the AI. Rhodey hid a smile behind his hand at the thought. God bless Tony and his damn beautiful brain.

He turned his attention to the toddler sprawled on the floor, her 'bots watching cartoons with her. Butterfingers held Jeffrey in one claw, as the other periodically patted Darcy on the head, making the girl smile.

Having noticed the 'bots unusual presence (at least to Stane), as well as their new paint jobs, Rhodey answered the man's unasked question.

"The 'bots have more personality now since Darcy has been here. They like having someone else to interact with that isn't Tony or another adult." Rhodey thought it prudent not to divulge the full story of just how much Darcy was changing the personalities of the little AI's. From the corner of his eye he saw Tony give him a nod of thanks, clearly thinking that information was need-to-know only.

Stane tilted his head as he watched the young girl chat to the 'bots about what was happening on the TV. DUM-E had tilted his head down to look at his friend as she spoke. Rhodey wasn't sure how a claw on wheels and one camera lens managed to have such a look of concentration on its face, but by now he learned to not think too deeply on it. Darcy just brought life to everything.

Rhodey moved his gaze back to Stane who was still watching Darcy as she giggled and spoke to her 'bots.

Things may be good now, but Rhodey was going to keep his eye on Stane. The man was a snake in the grass. He could feel it in his bones.

Chapter 7

Chapter Text

Four years later, Tony finds himself scrolling through family photos on his computer, most of which provided by JARVIS' security cameras. Smiling as he took a sip of his scotch, he thought back on the day.

His baby girl turned seven that morning. Tony had woken up to Darcy jumping on the bed, narrowly missing the family jewels, laughing while yelling at him to wake up because it was her birthday, and there is things and stuff to do, Dad!

After a shower, breakfast, and some coffee (all the coffee), the adults of the house had herded Darcy into the living room for presents. Tony was still thankful that Pepper moved in shortly after being brought in on Darcy's existence because as skilled as he had become at a french braid, Pepper had the ability to execute one flawlessly before she had her coffee.

Seriously, the woman was a goddess.

Redirecting his thoughts back to his kid and away from certain redheaded people who we do not think about when it is after eight, come on, Tony, you know better than this, he smiled as he remembered Darcy's face at her gifts.

From Pepper, Darcy got a whole set of jeans, one in every (obnoxious) color imaginable. She was going through a tomboy phase and was slowly tossing out all her dresses, but she was loathe to give up her fun colors. Again, Pepper was a goddess for her quick thinking.

Happy got Darcy a set of child-sized boxing gloves in a bright traffic-cone orange, and promised to start teaching her how to box. Rhodey had groaned, and asked the room at large if everyone thought that Darcy really needed to learn how to punch things.

Quickly getting over his drama, Rhodey's gift was next. Tony was afraid Darcy was going to wet herself with excitement when she opened the box. Inside was a Darcy-sized Air Force bomber jacket, her call sign "Lil' Bot" embroidered on the chest. Tony smiled when he noticed that the jacket was big enough to allow her to grow into it, letting her keep it for years to come. When she was five, Rhodey had taken Darcy to base, passing her off as an in-law's kid, so that she could get up close and personal with all the different planes. Tony heard about that day, every day, for three months. Thankfully Rhodey had taken mercy on him and let Darcy accompany him to base as often as he was allowed. He'd never seen his baby girl so happy.

Darcy had looked up at him then, her tiny frame swamped in the brown leather. Tony had one of those moments where time seemed to stop and his heart just melted with the love he had for his kid. Things certainly weren't always easy, especially not with the Stark personality shining bright in them both, and definitely not with a house full of bold people. But they were happy. Every once in a while in moments like these, Tony sent a little nod of thanks to Cheryl for sending Darcy into his life. He still carried some heartbreak about how Cheryl ended her life, but he made sure that he'd make her proud with how he was raising their kid.

Bringing himself back to the present moment with a gulp of hot coffee, Tony smiled at his daughter when she began pestering him about her gift.

"So, what'd'ya get me, Dad? Not sure how you can beat Uncle Rhodey's gift. Or Peppers. Or Uncle Happy's. Really, the bar is set pretty high, old man." Tony rolled his eyes at her teasing.

"Prepare to have your mind blown, kid. JARVIS? Have the boys come on in."

Face scrunching up in confusion, Darcy turned to the doorway where she saw her 'bots march in. DUM-E was in the lead and wearing a party hat, Butterfingers followed and twirled a pom-pom wildly, making Tony flinch at his destructive nature. Finally, U made it through the doorway, dragging a large gift-wrapped box behind him, tangled in a mess of ribbon.

Darcy began cackling wildly and giving out pets to the 'bots when they stopped right in her space, each of them reaching out to pat her on the head in return. Barely giving his poor girl room to breathe, Tony watched as the 'bots nudged the gift-box into her space and making the loudest beeps and whirrs that he had ever heard them make. He made a note to check to see when he updated their speakers, he really didn't want to suffer hearing loss from the dorks.

"Okay! Okay! I'll open it! Sheesh, you guys are eager," Darcy's laugh was loud and full-bellied, making Tony's face hurt with the strength of his smile.

Darcy looked up at him with an eyebrow raised in question, and at his nod she savagely tore into the wrapping paper. Once the box was opened, she peered down at the contents in confusion. Carefully, Darcy began pulling each item out.

Inside, there were delicately wrapped circuit boards, bundles of wire, microchips, and other odds and ends of robotics. Tony waited with baited breath as he watched his kid put her gift together in her head.

He swore he could hear an audible click of Darcy making the connection, head whipping up so fast Tony thought she would sprain something.

"Dad? Is this…?" Darcy was so excited Tony didn't think she'd be able to get out all her words. Deciding to throw his kid a bone, Tony finished her question for her.

"…a starter kit so you can build your first 'bot with AI capability? Why, yes, Lil Bot, I believe that it is."

Tony smirked for all of half a second before he full-bodied cringed at his daughters gleeful screeching. Happy dropped his mug on the floor to cover both of his ears, Pepper rubbed soothing circles on her temples, and Rhodey just closed his eyes and looked like he was praying for the ground to swallow him whole. Drama queen.

Knocking back the last of his scotch at the memory, Tony made a move to stand to head to his room until JARVIS tentatively did his equivalent of clearing his throat before speaking.

"Sir? I think there is something you need to see, it concerns Miss Darcy. Before you see, I want to apologize for not noticing before now."

Tony's blood ran cold. JARVIS never was apologetic, or timid.

"On the screen."

As he watched JARVIS' complied video footage, Tony felt all the blood drain from his face. Hiding behind his shaking hands, Tony put on a brave face for his baby girl.

"JARVIS, parent meeting, right now." He got a chime in response. Tony sagged back into his chair, waiting for his friends to arrive.

His baby girl just got a whole lot more complicated.

Rather than watch the video again, Tony spent the entire twenty minutes reading the expressions on everyone's faces. Thankfully, not one of them appeared appalled or disgusted by what they saw. They each wore a face of grim determination, and Tony was thankful that these were the people he chose to help him raise his daughter.

The video was a montage of JARVIS' security footage from the last year or so, of Darcy doing normal day to day things, like watching TV or working in the lab with her dad.

Except for one glaring abnormality.

Darcy would often call out and ask someone to hand her something without turning to look. Rather than an adult handing her that wrench or this book from the desk, the desired item would float through the air and land in her hand. Without looking up, Darcy would thank the "person," and continue on with her activity. Most of the time, Darcy didn't even realize she was alone.

Funnily enough, DUM-E, U, and Butterfingers didn't seem to find this abnormal at all. Throughout the footage they could be seen casually dodging floating objects, occasionally helping free some things if they were stuck.

After the footage played out, JARVIS paused on a frame of Darcy smiling down at Jeffrey in her hands. The little robot was showing its wear and tear, but everyone knew it was safe when it Butterfingers' hands.

Tony stared at the image, mind reeling as he tried to figure out better ways to protect his baby girl. Who was a Mutant. Because of course she was. Tony had a brief memory of Rhodey complaining about Stark's and their inability to do normal when they had first found Darcy painting the 'bots. He chuckled sardonically at the thought. If only we knew.

Pepper broke the silence first, clearing her throat to garner everyone's attention.

"So I don't think it needs to be said, but Tony, you know we don't care if Darcy is a Mutant. She's still your daughter, we still love her more than anything, and we will protect her, just like we always have." Rhodey and Happy nodded from either side of her in agreement.

Some part of Tony that he didn't realize was tense suddenly sagged in relief. In his heart, he knew that his friends, his family, wouldn't just cut and run because of this new development. But the nasty part of his brain that told him not to trust anyone almost couldn't be silenced when he first watched the footage.

Smiling at his family, Tony clapped his hands together in front of his chest, looking each of them in the eye. "So! Somehow four adults, an AI, and one child failed spectacularly at noticing that said child started developing mutant abilities. What the fuck, guys?"

They all exchanged looks of confusion and concern before JARVIS interrupted, taking mercy on their floundering about.

"Sir, I believe that may be mostly my fault. I'm afraid that within the mansion I grew lax in the amount of vigilant monitoring I was conducting of Miss Darcy. Since she is almost always with an adult, or one of the 'bots, I fear I grew complacent and stopped watching the feeds as closely as I should have been. I understand if you are angry, Sir, I am disappointed with myself, as well."

Pepper had such a look of concern on her face at the AI's self-doubt and chastisement Tony had to turn away. Dammit, Happy looks like he's gonna cry too. Knowing Rhodey was his only hope, Tony looked to his best friend. Aaaaand yup there goes Rhodey. Wow, congrats, self. You created an AI with more emotion than a person. Well done, you dick.

Rolling his eyes at himself, Tony addressed JARVIS, "Don't worry about it, pal. It's a natural reaction to feeling safe and comfortable in your own home. Or in our case, in you." Everyone winced at his phrasing, "Okay yeah that didn't come out at all like it was meant to," he heard Rhodey snort a laugh beside him.

"What I MEANT, you assholes," Tony continued, "is that I can't fault you for feeling safe and trusting us with Darcy's safety. In case you didn't notice, none of us noticed what was happening for the last twelve months either. Just beef up the monitoring again while we figure this all out. Darcy just needs to learn some control. I'll take a spare room and make it a practice area for her."

Everyone nodded, finding Tony's plan to be solid.

Happy made an inquisitive hum before speaking up, "So, since Darcy doesn't seem to know that she's doing anything at all, how do we tell her? Show her the video?"

Tony looked and Rhodey, who shrugged in response. "I don't see why not. Bot is a smart kid, Tony, and she'll trust that you're telling her the truth even if you don't show her the footage. I think it's a good idea, though. Maybe when she see's it, she'll be more self aware and that'll help with her learning some control."

Tony thanked the universe for Rhodey for the millionth time. Honestly, he'd be so screwed if this logical bastard wasn't his friend.

"I think after we tell her, we need to make a trip up to New York," Pepper looked to each of the men as she spoke, "I had a neighbor before I moved here, and he had a son who was a mutant. He told me about a school up north that a bunch of kids went to so that they could learn about controlling and wielding their powers. I'm not saying we send her there for school," She was quick to halt Tony's protests before he got a chance to open his mouth. "I just think we could talk to the Headmaster, Professor Charles Xavier, and see if he had any advice for us and for Darcy. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have his help in our pockets."

Tony sighed, thankful for the goddess that was Pepper Potts and her beautiful brain.

"Okay, team. Tomorrow: breakfast with our Lil Bot, have the 'congrats-you're-a-mutant-but-we-still-love-you' talk, fly to New York and see what Chuck has to tell us. JARVIS, make it happen!"

"It would be my pleasure, Sir."

Chapter 8

Notes:

I just want to take a hot second to thank everyone who has read and commented, especially those who helped point out some tips for me to make this story even better!

I'm floored by the response i'm getting, so I may make minor changes that have been suggested to solidify the story's foundation after i have a more solid plan of where i'm taking this crazy train.

seriously, guys, thank you so much for all the love, you guys are fucking kickass.

~going to put some more notes at the end of the chapter regarding the timeline~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Darcy stared without blinking at her computer's screen where JARVIS' footage was played. Glancing from the screen to her father and to the other adults, she wasn't entirely comforted by what she saw.

Her Dad was nervously wringing his hands, eyes batting from the computer to Darcy's face so fast it was almost impossible for her to keep track. Pepper, as per usual, was a solid structure of confidence that always gave Darcy a great deal of solace in hard times. However, her Mom's—Pepper's, she meant Pepper's—disheveled appearance took away from whatever comfort she usually gave. Her eyes were a little frantic, and

Darcy just knew she was running contingency plan after contingency plan for almost every situation possible.

Rhodey, thankfully, didn't appear much more flustered than he usually did when things got out of hand. That usually translated to his jaw clenching and a small tick under his left eye as his only tells. He seemed to be more concerned about her Dad than Darcy, which seemed like a valid concern at the moment. Happy, the forever great, solid, unflappable Happy Hogan just raised an eyebrow when Darcy met his gaze, as if to ask, Well, kid, whatcha going to do about it?

Darcy decided that this called for a reaction from Happy's playbook. Taking a deep breath, Darcy looked each adult in the eye before speaking.

"Well," she paused, "that explains a lot, don't you think?"

A moment of silence.

Suddenly everyone was talking over one another in their excitement.

"See! I knew my kid would handle it like a champ! Ha! My kick ass kid—"

"Oh, sweetheart, I am so glad you're not upset! We still love you and we just want to make sure you're okay—"

"Way to almost give your Dad a heart attack, Lil Bot—"

"Miss Darcy, I am terribly sorry for not noticing the phenomenon before now. However, I am increasing my security protocols—"

U, Butterfingers, and DUM-E gave off loud happy beeps, not entirely sure what all the noise was about, but they understood that Darcy was happy and that was enough for them.

Happy just reached over and ruffled her hair, knowing that everyone else was saying quite enough at the moment. His voice certainly wasn't needed.

Darcy found herself in her room shortly after, packing a duffle bag of clothes for the trip to New York. JARVIS had contacted the Professor they were visiting, and the man said that they were welcome to stay for a week while they all talked about Darcy and her developing powers. Next to her bag was the box of AI 'bot parts her Dad had gotten her. He said that she could bring it on the trip to work on while on the plane or at the school, and he'd hook up JARVIS to another tablet prototype so that he could help if she needed it.

Darcy smirked at that. She hadn't needed help with coding in a couple years, but she knew JARVIS was coming simply because he was a worry wart and didn't like being unable to see Darcy when she left the mansion. The guy was the best big brother, honestly.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder and reaching over to grab the 'bot box, Darcy paused when she saw a flash of blue. Lifting up one of the flaps of the box, she smiled softly at seeing Jeffrey placed on top of the parts. She knew Butterfingers must have snuck him in there, wanting her to have her oldest friend with her while she was gone. Replacing the flaps, Darcy hoisted the box up and began shuffling her way to the elevator.

Being seven-years-old was starting out as an adventure, that's for sure.

—

Pepper fell in step behind Tony and Darcy as their group walked from the car to Professor Xavier's school's front door. Monitoring her breathing, she made sure to keep her thoughts calm, keeping her mind from spiraling into worst case scenarios.

Her Darcy was a tough girl, and there was nothing to be afraid of.

She about choked on the thought when the door swung open in after Tony had finished knocking, annoyingly, on the large wood door. In the doorway was a man who redefined the word muscular. He had a cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth and was wearing a grubby white tank top under a flannel that clung to his body like a second skin, torn jeans hanging low on his hips. His dark hair stood up wildly from the top of his head, and thick sideburns lined the side of his face.

Clearly, Pepper goddamn Potts should be afraid of stupidly attractive men answering doors. Fighting a blush and her rising pulse, Pepper focused on the conversation between Tony and the man.

"Hey there, Butch? Is the Teach in? Gotta have a chat with ole' ironsides about the spawn here." Pepper rolled her eyes at Tony's irreverence. Manners, not that hard of a concept, you ass.

The man looked down at Darcy and her father's gesture, back to Tony, then behind him to Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy. Pepper most certainly did not blush when he winked at her, don't be ridiculous.

Looking back at Tony, the man pulled the cigar from his mouth and snubbed it on the palm of his hand before pocketing it. Pepper saw it heal before the cigar even reached his pocket.

"The name's Logan. You Stark?" Oh my god his voice get it together Pepper Potts you are no longer seventeen going after bad boys.

Tony nodded with a raised brow as if to say, duh, jackass.

Logan ignored Tony, smart man, and looked to Darcy. "What's up, pipsqueak?"

Without missing a beat, Darcy asked, "Did you realize you look like that lumberjack guy on the paper towel wrapper?"

Do not laugh, do not laugh, do NOT laugh at Logan.

The men had no such qualms, but they at least managed to smother their chuckles behind their hands or disguise them as coughs. Tony, while attempting a modicum or decorum, fucking beamed at Logan, so proud of his snarky daughter.

Logan rolled his eyes at Darcy, bringing up his hand in front of his chest, releasing a set of metal claws with a snick. "Does he have a set of these?"

Darcy looked between his claws, Logan's face, and back again. Pepper felt a laugh building in her gut as she watched Darcy's innocent curiosity be replaced with a look of mischief.

Another moment of silence passed before Darcy let out a quiet, but crystal clear, "Meow."

And Pepper goddamn Potts just lost it.

All four men turned to her as she doubled over in hysterical laughter at her kid, her little Darcy, just sassed this man with giant metal claws, and call him a cat. The stress of the night before and of the day of traveling caught up to her, releasing in the form of laughter.

Soon enough, her family joined her in her laughter, and even Logan managed a chuckle and a fond roll of his eyes before stepping back to allow them entrance to the school.

"Get in the damn house, kid."

Charles Xavier was a stoic man. Being a telepath taught one to keep one's guard up, lest someone sneak in behind your defenses while you peek behind theirs. He gave a small smile to the odd family sitting in front of his desk in his office.

Mr. Stark was projecting an air of nonchalance that was so cloyingly fake and thick, Charles could almost taste the sickeningly sweet flavor in the back of his mind. Similarly, Miss Potts was projecting her concern, but twisting it into a fierce mantra of Protect, protect, protect towards young Darcy that he thought for a moment the child would be knocked over with the force of it.

Looking to the men that stood behind the trio, he found a small kinship with these two men. Like him, they held their heads in moments of great trial, being a rock for those who need to lean on them for support.

Lastly, was the young Mutant herself, Miss Darcy. The girl was not startled in the slightest when he had first contacted her mind when she entered the room, continuing the conversation as casually as if they were speaking aloud. Perhaps she wasn't phased by the change to telepathic conversation because she had spent the last twelve months being blissfully unaware of her developing abilities. He smiled at the thought. Often, the children that come to the school are burdened by their discoveries, many times being rejected by their family and friends. Some of these were unfortunate enough to also carry the weight of accidentally harming ones they love with their powers, too young and confused to be able to control themselves. Charles was pleased that Miss Darcy Stark wouldn't carry a similar weight on her shoulders. From what he had gathered from the group's minds, this special girl was already going to be bearing more responsibility than most, simply by carrying the weight of the Stark name.

The young girl in question sat in one of the over stuffed armchairs, looking at all the books on the shelves. He smiled to himself when she saw her read the titles of each book under her breath. Were he a betting man, he'd place money on her memorizing each title to look up later. She was a insatiably curious creature, not unlike her father. As he observed Darcy, Charles felt Mr. Stark grow more and more restless, until the man finally cracked and broke his composure.

"Okay, Teach, can you help us? What do we need to do? I know she needs guidance, but I don't want her far from home, even if this place is well-equipped for her."

Dad's a bit protective, Darcy projected her thoughts to the Headmaster, causing him to quirk an eyebrow in surprise. Most people shied away from his abilities.

He loves you so much, Miss Darcy, so I understand. However, I must ask if you want to come to school here. The choice is yours, but I believe that you will benefit from being around children in similar situations. Charles waited a minute as Darcy thought about her response, as he heard her father complain loudly in the background that conversations aren't as fun when they're only in your heads, at the man's indignation, Charles returned his attention when he felt the girl give him a mental poke, signaling that she had an answer.

I couldn't leave my Dad, or the rest of my family. At least not yet. The girl paused, and Charles received a barrage of happy memories of the odd family. Moments of her playing with robots, sitting next to her father in his lab, and learning with the other adults as well as JARVIS. At the thought of the AI, he looked to the lone security camera in the corner of the room, sure in his belief that the protective AI had wormed his way in and was watching over the girl as they met.

Feeling confident in the girl's safety back in Malibu, Charles addressed the room at large. "Very well, Miss Darcy has agreed that she would rather be home than here, and I respect her decision. But please know that you all are welcome whenever you desire, if Darcy needs more guidance or simply feels a desire to visit." Letting a gentle smile ease on his face, he alternated his gaze from meeting Stark's eyes before going back to Darcy.

"Now, in order to get a better understanding of what Miss Darcy is capable of, I would like to read deeper into her mind." Sensing her father's upcoming protest, Charles raised a hand to halt the man before he could start.

"It's painless, I promise you. I also assure you that I do not go looking for secrets, or any type of personal thoughts. I simply use my ability to suss out hers, so that I am able to discern your daughter's abilities ensuring that I can guide her in the right direction."

The Professor took the following silence to look each family member in the face, reading their expressions. Mr. Rhodes' jaw became clenched with tension, but Charles was able to see in his eyes that he trusted the older mutant with his niece's safety. Likewise, Mr. Hogan seemed to be compiling lists in his mind of reasons to trust and not to trust Charles, but similarly reached the same conclusion as Mr. Rhodes, admitting to himself that their family was not equipped to help Darcy in the way that she needed.

Charles steeled himself before looking to the final adults, where he knew he'd encounter the most resistance. Miss Potts was so still that had he not been able to hear the complete pandemonium of her thoughts, Charles may had thought the woman was dead. He didn't dare get any closer to the woman's thoughts as they were so loud and visceral in their love and protectiveness for Darcy, Charles actually flinched back as if he had been slapped. He made sure to cement it deep in his mind to never cross Miss Pepper Potts. God help the soul who did.

Mr. Stark surprised him by swallowing his words, and immediately turning to his daughter. The man was frightened for his child, Charles could see that clearly, but the man put on a brave face so Darcy wouldn't see him afraid. The man searched his daughter's face, eyes flickering between hers rapidly before prompting Darcy with a gruff whisper.

"Well, Bot, what do you say? It's your noggin, after all."

Darcy searched her father's face in return, before her face broke out in a wide grin. Without taking her eyes off her Dad's, she addressed Charles.

"Let's do this, Teach."

Stark reached across the gap between their chairs to hold on to his daughter's hand, who's tiny grease-stained fingers matched perfectly with his. Charles watched as the two clasped their hands tightly, a unified front, them against the world.

Rolling his chair from behind his desk to stop in front of Darcy, Charles searched her face a final time for any lingering doubt. Seeing nothing but confidence and trust in her eyes, he reached out his hands to place on either side of her face, his fingertips resting on her temples.

Feeling the edge of Darcy's mind touch his own, Charles Xavier calmly walked in his mind's eye to the brink, leaned back, and fell.