Daughter of Stark #Wattys2017

Chapter 29: A plan.

Its been a long time, and I'm sorry, but I'm back, and here you go. 

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Tony's POV

      I sit on the bar stool silently, swirling my glass of wine and watching the girl on the floor. She lays on her back and sets her notebook open on her face. I don't know what to do. What am I supposed to do about that. I'm out of ideas, And I can't handle that. I'm supposed to be protecting this girl, and all that's come to her is hurt after hurt since she's been with me. Her entire future is in my hands and I don't know how to make it the one she wants. I set my wine glass down on the counter with contempt, next that woman will say i'm a drunk, and an unfit parent because of it. I stand up and start to pace around the room, I've been so good with my anxiety for so long, I did therapy and learned how to deal with it, but now it's all going downhill, I have attacks frequently. Poor Pepper, between Kennedy's attacks and mine, I don't know when she ever has time to sleep. I'm so grateful to have Pepper by my side, I don't know why she chose to stay with me, I don't deserve her, i'm more trouble than i'm worth most of the time. And if all of this turns out okay, we're gonna be parents together. IF this all turns out okay, but how can it? How can it be okay when I can't even think straight. My fists are clenched as i pace the room. I stop in my tracks and shut my eyes tight, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. I hear Kennedy's voice, nearer to me than I would have expected,

"Tony, you okay?" My shoulders relax and i unclench my fists, it's like a wave washed over my whole body relaxing me. I open my eyes and look toward Kennedy, now kneeling on the couch and leaning over the back.

"Yeah, of course, I was just uh, thinking about what to do next." I brush it off, shoving my trembling hands into my pockets.

"Look at us, what a pair, we can't even think without drowning in our own fear." A mournful laugh escapes Kennedy's drooping lips, her whole face betrays how tired she is, like every part of her expression has been weighed down by the constant emotional bag of bricks she's carrying. I want nothing more than to carry the bag for her, so I smile, trying to lighten the load as much as I can.

"That's why we gotta stick together right? I'll pull you out of the water if you'll pull me out, deal?" I stick out a hand to shake on it. She takes it and pulls me closer to the couch, wrapping her arm around my waist. I put a hand on her head protectively. I let out a long sigh. "So what do we do now?" I whisper, mostly to myself.

"We beat her," Kennedy lifts her head and looks up to me, "there's always a way, we know she's not who she says she is, we just have to figure out how to prove it."

"But that's the problem firecracker," I come around and sit beside her. "She's got too much on us, and we've got nothing on her but our opinion that she's a bad person."

"But she doesn't really have anything on us, obviously you being an avenger isn't a real concern or else the adoption wouldn't have gotten this far, right?" The optimistic girl insists. I run a hand over my face.

"It might be nothing, but it's enough, anything is enough unless we offer them a good reason to keep you away from her." I try to explain, hoping she can understand. We sit in silence after that, both consumed in thought, trying desperately to find a solution to this puzzle. That's how Pepper found us almost an hour later I snapped out of my reverie when she urges us to come eat dinner. But Kennedy remains in a sort of daze all throughout dinner, not participating in any of the conversation, staring into space and absently picking at her food. Pepper and I talk about our options, how we could possibly speed up the home study results, or buying ourselves some time by suggesting that she should need a home study as well, but every solution we came up with seemed fruitless. When dinner is finished and the plaits are cleared, Pepper asks Kennedy to help her wash the dishes. Rather than responding, Kennedy grins, a sly grin that makes me both nervous and excited, then bursting with excitement she declares,

"I have an idea!"

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It's short, sorry. More coming soon hopefully.