Pride and Joy

Chapter Four

Rory, having just come home from school, opened the front door and walked inside slamming it shut. "I'm home!" she called out to no one in particular as she started to head up the stairs to her bedroom.

"In here!" She heard the faint call of her father from somewhere on the main floor.

She set her backpack down next to her desk in her bedroom and went back downstairs to find where everyone was. She looked in a couple of rooms before finding her way into the gym to see her Dad, Pepper, and Happy there. She also saw someone that she did not recognize. It was a woman with reddish-brown hair wearing loose, black pants and a blue, button-up blouse.

Happy stood in the boxing ring, drinking water and apparently recovering from whatever he just did, while the other three stood looking over some papers.

Noticing his daughter's presence, Tony kept his eyes trained on whatever form he was signing and asked, "How was school, bubs?"

"It was good," Rory responded, causing the unknown woman to look up.

"Rory, this is Natalie Rushman," Tony said as he finished signing. "Natalie, this is my daughter, Rory."

"Nice to meet you, Rory," Natalie closed the book with the papers inside of it and walked over to shake Rory's hand.

"Nice to meet you, too," Rory said as she shook her hand.

Natalie pulled her hand away, "How old are you, Rory?"

"I'm seven, but I'll be eight next month."

"Well, happy early birthday, Rory," Natalie smiled and turned to face Tony. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

Tony opened his mouth to say no, but Pepper cut him off. "Yes," she said, "that will be all, Ms. Rushman. Thank you very much."

Natalie nodded and exited the room.

Tony clapped and turned towards Rory. "You. Homework. Now."

"But, Dad..." Rory tried.

"Now," he repeated.

Rory sighed and dropped her head before exiting the room next.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Tony stepped out of the black limo at the Hotel De Paris in Monaco, Europe, Pepper and Rory following suit.

Rory held Tony's hand as they entered the hotel. They were all dressed noticeably formal; With Tony in a nice gray suit, Pepper in a black, polka-dot dress that showed off her shoulders, and Rory in a pretty pink and blue floral dress that poofed out at the bottom.

"You know, it's Europe. Whatever happens in the next 20 minutes, just go with it," Tony said to the girls.

"Go with it? Go with what?" Pepper asked him, confusion written on her face.

Before her question could be answered, the trio was met with the girl Rory saw in the gym the other day, Natalie.

"Mr. Stark?" She walked over to them. She was wearing an electric-crimson color dress and her hair was pulled out of her face and curled.

"Hey," Tony greeted as he took his sunglasses off.

"Hello. How was your flight?" Natalie asked him.

"It was excellent. Boy, it's nice to see you." Tony said back to her.

"Hi, Natalie," Rory piped up with a big smile on her face. She didn't know why, but there was something about Natalie that she was drawn to.