The Golden Daughter✓Tony Stark

Chapter 4.

December 3, 1995. Stark Manor.

"So you're telling me you basically have an actual living daughter in your house, not another crazy invention of yours?" Rhodes asked over the phone, making Tony roll his eyes at the question his best friend asked for the umpteenth time.

"Why don't you come over and see for yourself?" Tony said, rubbing his palm over his face, trying to wipe the sleep off.

Rhodes had called him just after he'd barely fallen asleep. Melissa had been up almost all night, asking series of questions, and talking non stop. Jarvis finally put her to sleep- which she didn't agree too unless 'her daddy slept beside her.'

The doctor had said she couldn't take out the drip until tomorrow to regain lost nutrients so, Tony had to squeeze into the small space until she fell asleep.

Tony was starting to doze off again when Jarvis place a cup of coffee in front of him. Tony quickly downed the coffee, ignoring the burn in his throat.
God, he loved Jarvis.

The door bell finally rang and Rhodes walked in like he owns the place, technically he did because he was here every other day.

"So where is this little chatterbox I hear about?" he asked as he reached Tony. He thought he heard Jarvis chuckle in the background.

"Shhhh. Lower your voice you'll wake her." Tony reprimanded but the deed had been done.

"Daddy?" Tony groaned in his head, bashing Rhodes' head on the coffee table repeatedly in his mind.

Tony peeped behind his best friend to see his daughter on the stairs clutching the railings with one hand and rubbing her eye with the other.

Cute, was what crossed Tony's mind at first, then, he remembered what they all had to go through to get her to sleep, little devil was what he concluded with.

He guess the doctor had removed the drip. It really bothered her last night, she kept fiddling and tugging at the tube.

The little girl completely ignored Rhodes' presence and walked straight into her father's arms burying her head in the crook of his neck.

"The doctor man was mean to me. He put a giant needle in my hand and it hurts." She grumbled but Tony caught every single word.

"Really?! Where exactly did he put the needle?" He asked, lifting her face with his palm. He took a mental note that her face already had more colour.

Melissa pointed to her plastered hand, pouting.

Tony remembered what his mum usually did for him anytime he was hurt. He took his daughter's hand in his and placed a gentle kiss on the plastered spot.

"There you go. It'll make it feel better. It does, doesn't it?" Tony asked, planting another kiss on the inside of her palm.

The girl simply nodded and their moment was broken when they heard a throat clear.

"I think you guys are forgetting a very important person here."

Melissa spun around and looked at the tall man behind her. On instinct, she shuffled closer to her father.

"Who is he?" She whispered to her dad, not taking her eyes off the tall man. "Is he your brother?  Elena has a big brother too. He does not like me."

Tony furrowed his eyebrows again at the mention of that name, Elena. She had mentioned it in almost every sentence she uttered throughout yesterday, Elena has this, Elena has that…
She didn't even seem to remember the events leading up to her arrival in that harsh cold. The doctor said it was okay, the events could've been a terrible one and her brain decided to forget it as a response to the event.

"No, his name is Rhodes, he's my best friend, Smalls. Rhodes, this is the famous chatterbox you asked for." Tony introduced as the girl blinked up at him in confusion.

"What is a scatterbox?" She asked, looking between the two men.

Tony opened his mouth to answer but Rhodes beat him to it.

"It's chat-ter-box, and it means adorable." Tony grimaced. He knew she would probably call everyone she meets today a chatterbox. He looked down to see the girl absorbing everything Rhodes was saying.

"Okay, okay, okay. Stop feeding my daughter lies." Tony yelled, reaching out but the girl clung to Rhodes' hands, squeaking loudy. Daughter, it felt weird to say but felt right.

"I want to stay with Rhodey."
Tony gasped in fake shock.

"You little traitor. And, it's Rhodes." He corrects.

"Rhodey." The girl replies.

"Rhodes." He argues but the girl seemed so adamant to calling him Rhodey.

"Fine then, let's ask him. What is it, Rhodes or Rhodey?" The dark skinned man froze as two similar pair of brown eyes lands on him. God, it feels weird. Tony is now a father.

"I don't know. It's Rhodes but I like Rhodey, it has a nice ring to it." The man replies and Tony rolled his eyes as his daughter sticks her tongue out at him.

"I stay up all night listening to you and the next thing, you run into another man's arms. Fine, no special breakfast for you." He declared as he stood up and walked towards the kitchen, only to be stopped by a pair of arms wrapped around his legs.

"I don't want Rhodey again, I want you daddy." The girl squealed as her father lifted her into his arms, heading toward the dining room.