The Golden Daughter✓Tony Stark

16: The Concept of Change.

I opened the door to the room to find her sitting on her bed with a book in her hands, her glasses on the bridge if her nose. She looks up and smiles at me.

"Hi, aunt Peggy." I greet as her smile gets bigger, walking  towards her bed. With tears in my eyes, I fall beside her bed pulling her into a hug. Seeing a very strong woman in her days, look so frail did something to me.

"Lisa. You've gotten so big. It's been so long since I saw you." She exclaimed, with tears in her eyes.

"You think so? Rhodey and dad doesn't seem to think the same." I said sitting in the chair beside her.

"Why are you wearing a dress?" She asks jokingly.

"Dad had an hearing today and I was just coming from there." I explained.

"Something's wrong." She says. "It's bothering you."

"What? No. I'm just glad to see you after such a long time. Do you know I'm graduating college in three months?" I said trying to change the topic. I didn't want to bother her.

"Congratulations. You managed to beat your father's record. Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. It's about him isn't it?" She says with a knowing look in her face.

I sigh giving up.

"It's just that I feel like something is wrong. In the past few months he's become more reckless and ostentatious."

"It's Tony. When is he ever not?" She ask sassily and a smile makes it way to my face.

"It has become overboard lately. Ever since the Iron Man announcement, everything had changed. He seems very distant. I feel like he's hiding something from me, from all of us. Did you see the expo? Sure I know we're loaded but that was too much. I couldn't even attend the thing. I feel like things are changing so quickly and I'm scared." I admitted.

"Everything is changing. I want things to be the way they are. People say everything is going to be okay but I know deep down nothing is going to remain the same. After that attack, I knew nothing was going to remain the same. But I don't want things to change. I just want dad to be okay again and for him to bicker with Pepper and Rhodey all day, not to worry about his weapons that are out there somewhere, for us to have our late night snacks- oh my God, I'm rambling. I feel bad now. I'm dumping all my problems on you, you shouldn't worry about me. You should be resting your grey head not- " I'm cut of by aunt Peggy pulling me into a hug, burying my head into her warm chest and placing her chin on my head, running her hands through my hair.

"It's okay, child. Shhhh." She whispered. I felt calm. I used to get this kind of affection from granny and Pepper. But one was dead and the other was to busy worrying about dad to pay enough attention to me.

"You know change isn't all that bad. Change is good. Know that everything happens for a reason. Your dad got into that accident for a reason, he has the machine in his chest for a reason, you were born for a reason, your father is avoiding me for a reason too." She says and I chuckle at the last part.

"Yeah, he's scared you'll probably kick his ass again or something." I said wiping the tears that managed to fall.

"Language." She scolds and I rolled my eyes. "Just know that everything happens for a reason. And if things change, they change for a reason too. Just accept the change and try to find good in every situation. Then you'll see that change isn't all that bad."

"Thanks aunt Peggy. I really needed that." I said as we moved on to another topic.

▪️▪️▪️

"No, you know what? I think I’m actually entitled to say 'our' collection considering the time that I put in, over 10 years, curating that." I heard Pepper say as I walk into the lab.

The both of them stops to look at me.

"Thanks for picking me up." I said sarcastically before walking over to the sink where YOU is wiping a green sticky juice of the counter.
"Let me do that." I say picking the rag from it's hand.

"I'm sorry." Dad apologizes but I just shrug.

"You know, there’s only about 8,011 things that I really need to talk to you about." Pepper says.

"Dum-E. Hey, stop spacing out. The Bridgeport’s already machining that part." Dad says clearly avoiding Pepper but she's not giving up.

"The Expo is a gigantic waste of time." Pepper exclaims.

"Yeah, tell me about it." I muttered as she turned to me, obviously, she heard what I said.

"I need you to wear a surgical mask until you’re feeling better. Is that okay?" Dad says. Pepper has had a runny nose all week.

"That’s rude." She says as she scoffs

"There’s nothing more important to me than the Expo. It’s my primary point of concern. I don’t know why you’re…" I zone out. That's what he had been focusing on in the last few months. Expo and Iron Man.

I snap back to reality when I hear something crash behind me. I let out sigh of relief as I see dad climbing into the counter beside me, taking down the Barnett Newman to replace it with an Iron Man portrait. I have to admit it did look good.

Maybe change isn't so bad after all.

I turn back to dry my hands off when I stopped in shock. My veins they were blue. Glowing blue. I thought they were a one time thing.

All of a sudden it was back to normal. Almost as if I didn't just see it. JARVIS and I are having a serious session later.

I'm snapped back to reality when dad jumps off the counter saying "You do it," and ruffling my hair.

"I do what?" Pepper asks confused.

"Excellent idea. I just figured this out. You run the company." Dad replies and I get where he is heading. One of the few times when we spent time together, we talked about this and I was in total support if it.

"Yeah, I’m trying to run the company." Pepper said obviously not getting the point.

"Pepper, I need you to run the company. Well, stop trying to do it and do it." Dad says but Pepper continues

"You will not give me the information…" but I cut her off too.

"Pepper, he's trying to make you the CEO of Stark industries."
Talk about impulsive.

"Have you been drinking?" She suddenly asks dad before turning to me. "You're fifteen, you know you're not allowed to drink, right?"

"I'm sixteen." I quipped at the same time dad said "Chlorophyll. I hereby irrevocably appoint you chairman and CEO of Stark Industries effective immediately. Yeah, done deal. Okay? I’ve actually given this a fair amount of thought, believe it or not."

YOU brings a tray with a bottle and glasses on it.
"Doing a bit of headhunting, so to speak, trying to figure out who a worthy successor would be. And then I realised it’s you. It’s always been you."

"Yeah. We know you do all the work. He's just a figure head." I said as Pepper sat down in shock.

Dad rolled his eyes before continuing. "I thought there’d be a legal issue, but actually I’m capable of appointing my successor. My successor being you. Congratulations? Take it, just take it." He says as he hands a stunned Pepper the glass.

"I don’t know what to think." Pepper says in shock.

"Don’t think, drink. There you go." Dad says as they tap glasses and drink leaving me to look at them.
"Get yourself a juice box or something." Dad said waving me off and I laugh.

Maybe, change is a good thing after all.

A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update. I forgot yesterday was Wednesday and by the time I remembered and tried to update, I couldn't connect to Wattpad. I'm really sorry.