Stark Found [completed!]

Chapter 19: Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

Tony

After leaving Sophie's (soon to be) old room, I called in a few favors. Rhodey, Bruce and his cousin Jennifer, Geek, both Maximoff's, and Scott were all surprisingly free to help out. Sophie's room needed to be finished ASAP. I couldn't risk having her so exposed in the room below.

"I didn't know you dabbled in home renovations," Scott teased. I handed him a screwdriver as we rewired all the electricity to a central panel. I didn't answer. He wasn't telling me anything about Eden's suit, so I refused to give him attention beyond what was necessary to complete the tasks I set out for him.

"Does she know the extent you're going through to protect her?" he tried again.

"Then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it? Hand me the ties."

"I thought you were trying to be more open with her? That way-"

"I'll finish up here. Wanna get started on the door security?" I interrupted. He frowned. I waved towards the door. "Skedaddle, Mr. Engineer. Someone needs to read the directions to Geek."

I went back to the cords in front of me, doing my utmost best to arrange them by color and room. Someone snuck up behind me. The limp was easily recognizable.

"Tony, you really need to calm down a bit."

"Rhodey, if I want a – what did you do to my legs?"

He looked down. "A small paint job. Carol and Jessica dropped by the mansion and were tired of waiting for you. What's a paint kit doing next to my legs, anyway? I thought that was something you'd leave up to Friday and Dummy."

"I was doing a mock paint job, but that's beside the point. What did you add to it?" I used a screwdriver to point to what I was referring to. "These. And this. What is that?"

"Oh." He straightened up, a smug look on his face. "It's a little something your little protégé over there added for me last night: an air conditioner. Miniaturized, obviously, but it gets the job done. And he stabilized something or other so my balance is improved."

"Hm. And you say he did it last night?"

"Yup. Twelve hours. How long have you been working on this? A few years?"

"Yeah, well, in my defense I was a little preoccupied looking for my daughter. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta make sure this place is perfectly safe for said daughter." I returned to my panel. It was finished by now, but I needed an excuse until he went away.

He sighed, leaning against the wall so I could still see him out of my peripheral. "Tony, I know you hate being told how to do anything, but I think you could use a few tips on how to parent, here."

I harrumphed. "You have a two year old. Don't think your advice is going to be very relevant to my situation with my two, full grown daughters."

"I know it helps to be more open. They're the only family you've got." I didn't answer. "Okay, remember what you said at your parent's funeral?"

"Not really. I was a bit wasted at the time."

"You were always drunk, but that never stopped you from being the smartest person in the room," he frowned. "You swore you'd always tell someone you loved them as often as possible. That way if anything ever happened to them you wouldn't regret it the way you did with your parents."

"You're right. But right now I want to finish this room so I know Sophie is safe enough to sleep alone. And then I'll call a family meeting and the three of us can cry and hug it out."