Iron Heart [1]

Prologue

January 30, 1996

Tony stared down at the tiny girl that hid behind the child services agent.

"Why is there a little girl in my house?" he asked the agent.

"Do you remember Lydia Dawson?" the agent asked him.

"Well, yeah I dated her for a while," Tony responded.

"She was recently in a car wreak and was killed in the accident. This is Lydia's daughter, Adalene Rhett Maria Dawson- Stark," he explained.

"Stark?" he asked as his eyebrows raised.

"That's right, after she left, she had this little girl on February 12, 1992. She's your daughter Mr. Stark," the agent finished.

The agent knelt down next to the little girl.

"Adalene I'm going to ask you to stay here with you dad, okay?" the agent asked.

The little girl nodded in response as she eyed Tony skeptically.

"Okay, I'll be off," he started. "Congratulations Mr Stark."

The agent then walked away, leaving the little girl with Tony.

"Pepper," Tony called.

A woman with light red hair, almost blond, showed up.

"Yes, Mr Stark?" Pepper asked.

"Take, um, Adalene here to her new room," Tony ordered her.

"Right this way," Pepper smiled at the little girl.

Adalene held tightly onto Pepper's hand as she lead the little girl through the huge mansion.

"Okay right here, it has a wonderful ocean view if you're interested in it," Pepper opened the door.

The room was huge with a queen sized bed, a couch, a tv, a large desk, a huge bookshelf, and a widow directly in front of the bed with a balcony.

"It's boring in here, very plain," Adalene observed.

Pepper thought her voice sounded weird, but maybe she was just scared.

"Don't worry I'll taking you shopping tomorrow so we can get some stuff to decorate your room and some new clothes. Does that sound good?" Pepper asked.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful," the little girl spoke, but what Pepper was shocked about was her accent.

It wasn't fear.

"Where did you live before you came here?" Pepper asked.

"Mom had me in Paris, but we moved to America a few months ago," she explained.

Her voice was sweet and innocent, as if she couldn't hurt a fly. Pepper smiled.

"How old are you?" Pepper questioned.

"I'm almost 4," Adalene replied. "My mom had been busy the past few months and couldn't take care of me that much so she had a nanny take care of me."

"Don't worry I'll take care of you," Pepper spoke.

"What about Dad?" she asked.

"He's...very busy most of the time," she explained.

"Okay," Adalene sighed.

Pepper felt her heart break as she heard the young girl's disappointment.

"Lets get you changed into some Pajamas and ready for bed, Adalene," Pepper suggested.

"Oh, I don't really like to be called Adalene. I like to be called Ada," she interrupted. "Sorry for interrupting, but yes I am tired."

"You don't have to apologize," Pepper nodded.

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Pepper stayed in Ada's room until she fell asleep. She wanted to make sure she would be alright and would fall asleep alright. She stood and quietly opened and closed the doors. She walked back down to Tony who was currently talking to Rhodey.

"Tony, you can't just cast her aside and let Pepper take care of her!" Rhodey yelled.

"I can't take care of a little kid!" Tony argued.

"Tony, at least be there for her in someway! Her mom just died and you're not willing to do anything with her! "

"Fine I'll do something," Tony sighed in defeat.

Pepper knew it wouldn't be true. He wouldn't lift a finger for Ada and she would be left to be taken care of by Pepper. Rhodey might also be left in charge of her on occasion and maybe even Obadiah.  Pepper stepped out.

"Did you take care of her?" Tony asked.

"Tony!" Rhodey yelled.

"No it's no big deal. She's fast asleep in bed. I learned however that she used to live in France, and thought of the room as very boring, so I will be taking her shopping tomorrow. She also prefers to be called Ada," Pepper stated.

"Fine, do whatever you want to do with her," Tony grumbled.

"Tony you can't be like that, she's a little girl that's how old?" Rhodey asked.

"Three, she will be four in February. Which means we need to start thinking about schools for her," Pepper made Tony aware.

"We'll send her to boarding school."

"No, she's going to a normal school, that's not a boarding school," Pepper countered.

"If we send her to boarding school she'll be out of the way, and she can learn how to be independent. She won't be a hassle or on the way," he explained. "That's what my dad did to me."

"Fine she'll go to boarding school in high school, kindergarten through 8th grade she'll go to a normal school," Pepper sighed and threw her hands up as she gave up.

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August 2004

Twelve year old Ada sat in shock as Happy, Pepper, Rhodey, and Tony sat in the car with her. She was being taken to boarding school, for high school. High school as a 12 year old. She had already met her roommate a few days ago after they had been assigned each other. Her roommate was a freshman too, but Ada probably wouldn't stay too long. She was nervous, she was 12 while everyone else was 15 or older. She stared as Tony argued with everyone else on the subject. Everyone said she should be at a public school, while Tony said she needed to go to boarding school. She felt a small tear fall down her face. Tony would never care about her, she had figured that out in the first year of living with him.

She stepped out of the car as they arrived. Everyone stepped out of the car to say goodbye.

"Okay, be brave for me, have fun, make friends, don't keep your nose shoved in a book, and try to learn something," Pepper spoke.

"I'll try," Ada smiled.

"You're a smart kid. They don't know what's coming their way," Happy stated as he lifted his hand for a high five, to which Ada obliged. 

"Thanks Happy," she replied.

"Ada, you're smarter than some soldiers that I work with. This should be no big deal and you'll glide right through. I'll be here if you need anything, I'll just stop by," Rhodey said.

"I'll keep that in mind," she laughed.

Happy, Pepper, and Rhodey all sent Tony a look saying, Say something.

"You're on the right track, kid," he grumbled with a fake smile.

Sadly, that was the nicest thing he had ever said to her. With one last goodbye, she left into the boarding school.