Iron Heart [1]

Chapter 8

If anyone would've said that Tony and Ada's reunion was perfect, they lied. Tony tracked Ada down to Jackson's house and burst in that day, while Jackson was at an audition.

"Ada?" he called out frantically. "Ada?!"

Once Ada heard the cries, she immediately tried to find a way out of the house. This resulted in her wheelchair getting caught on something and her falling on the ground. She softly cried for a little bit, until arms tried to grab her by the shoulders. She looked up to find Tony comforting her.

"Dad?"

She tried to back away, but without legs to really help her move, this was an unfeasible task.

"Shh," Tony tried to calm. "It's alright. I'm here for you now, and for once in my life I want to take some responsibility."

Ada nodded and then engulfed her dad in a hug. She cried into his shoulder as she let him take her to the car and take her back to the Stark mansion.

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It had been a week since Tony had come back. A week since he got Ada back. Tony stared as Ada sat in her wheelchair on the balcony, looking at the water. He felt bad. He'd been so ignorant that he didn't bother to get to know her before she was paralyzed. He'd talked to her all day when he was reunited with her. She had told him how she had loved to swim in the pool, go on walks down the beach, and drive her convertible that was now totalled. All of those things she needed to use her legs for. The only things that she hadn't lost was she was able to read and continue to love music. He then started sketching stuff down on a blueprint. He wanted to help her. He wanted her to walk again so she could do all the things that she loved to do again. He stood up and went downstairs carrying the blueprint with him.

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Pepper walked downstairs to see Ada sitting on the balcony.

"Hey Ada, how are you feeling?"

"Alright, I guess. I mean it's all been kinda crazy ever since I woke up from the coma," she replied. "I just can't believe dad's back."

"I know, but everything will go back to normal soon, I hope," Pepper mumbled the last part.

Ada just shook her head.

"Can I go to bed?" she asked.

"Um, yeah, sure," Pepper said confused as it was only 6 o'clock.

Pepper helped the teen over to the couch since Ada couldn't go back upstairs until a lift or elevator was added. Ada curled into a ball and eventually fell asleep.

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It was later that night when Tony came up from the lab. His eyes immediately found Ada on the couch and he made his way over to her. He shook her shoulders earning a groan as a response from her.

"Ada, get up. I have something to show you," he picked her up as she nodded in response.

He walked towards the door to the garage. Being as gentle as he could, he carried the paralyzed girl downstairs. He sat her down and brought over a suit case.

"What's that?" Ada asked.

"I know, before I went missing, I was kinda a...jerk to you. I didn't even get to know my daughter before she was paralyzed. So I thought of a way to make up for it," he said as he opened the case.

Inside was an assortment of small button like contraptions that had a light blue glow to them.

"What is it for?" she raised her eyebrow.

"Ada, I know I was a horrible dad to you, and I feel bad I wasn't there for the accident. So this-" he gestured to the contraption. "-will allow you to walk again. By restablishing those nerve pathways. "

Ada's eyes grew wide.

"Alright, I want to try it," she nodded.

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Jackson came home alone. There was nobody there. He didn't have anyone there for him. He hadn't seen Ada since she left, and honestly, her dad terrified him. Sure he was pretty strong, but that was the owner of a weapons company. He shook off all of these thoughts and continued on with his routine after auditions. It just wasn't the same. Ada wasn't there to greet him when he came back. He understood why Tony Stark was protective of her, but she couldn't even leave the house without him knowing exactly where she was going and when she would come back. He loved how he had to take care of her, but that was gone, and he needed to forget about her. But he just couldn't get her off of his mind. He was in love with her....

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The technology in her body was now keeping Ada standings on her own. Once he had injected the small chips into her lower back and the back of her legs, she felt an immediate surgery of energy. She was shaky on her legs, from lack of using them, but eventually found her strength to step forward. She stumbled at first, causing her father to grab her.

"I'm fine, dad," she shook him off.

She stood again, and took another shaky step forward. Her steps were slow and hesitant. She paused and turned around to see how far she had walked. She had learned to walk all over again.