Good Times, Bad Times

1 - August 1988 -

- August 1988 -

Anna sighed to herself, resting her head back on the wall. The moment she most feared was just a few steps away from her.

Tony's bodyguard – the only one who knew what had happened – had driven the two of them to the Stark mansion right after the three of them had gotten out of the plane.

The small rich family was locked inside Howard's office for hours, and the orphan girl was almost dying from nervousness. The pregnancy nausea was mixed with the feelings inside her, and she was so sick the man had to guide her to the bathroom twice.

"Miss," a maid stopped in front of her. "Mr Stark sent me for you."

Anna followed her, trying to keep a straight face. This was probably the fanciest place she'd ever stepped in her life, Tony's apartment couldn't compare to his parents' home. A single painting on those walls could pay for her whole education, and she would still have money left to get a flat and a car.

Speaking of flats, Howard's office was bigger than her whole rented place, and it was easy to get that he knew of that fact the moment his eyes fell on her figure.

"She doesn't look pregnant," he commented as if she was just a piece of decoration before walking to her. "So you are Miss... Anna Smith."

The way he said her name made her cringe. Anna's last name was given after the priest that ran the orphanage she was raised in after her parents had left her in there with a single letter, their first names and hers.

Jean and Scott.

He didn't give her the opportunity to respond, already walking to his desk and pulling a pen from his pocket.

"Tell me the price, Miss Smith."

Anna wasn't surprised. Howard Stark had reacted exactly how his son had said he would: trying to buy her silence and her way out of their lives.

"I don't want your money," she touched her belly protectively, using the same voice tone he had used to her, voice dripping disgust and a bit of poison. "Mr Stark."

Howard was old, probably in his 70s, and his wife was clearly younger. According to Tony, his mother was a nice woman and an amazing mother. Anna couldn't, however, figure if she would hate her or not, given her current situation.

Let's hope not.

"You certainly don't expect me to allow you to marry into this family," he accused and she glanced at her side when Tony walked to stand there.

"Oh, no," the woman shook her head. "Actually, that's the last thing I want."

The man looked at her in confusion. He couldn't understand what she was proposing. No one had probably had defied him that way but she herself had little to nothing to lose. Tony would never leave their baby without the assistance they would need. She didn't need their money, she could make her own, but she wouldn't let her baby suffer the way she did.

"Then what do you want?" Howard questioned.

"I want this child to be recognised as Tony's," she affirmed. "I want them to have his last name, to be well-fed and have a nice family. A mother, a father and grandparents. To go to a nice school and... All that stuff a kid should have but isn't always a given to people that need it."

Howard just eyed her down, still smug and probably feeling as superior as possible over her.

"We don't even know if this child is his."

Anna shrugged.

"Get a DNA test when they are born, I don't mind," she pointed. "Money is the last thing I'm after with this, trust me."