The Life of Athena: Tony Stark's Daughter - Steve Rogers

Chapter 45: Post Christmas

A/N: First of all I want to say may Stan Lee Rest In Peace. He was such an inspiration, visionary, and legend. Second, thank you to the few that responded to my questions on the last chapter, love you guys for your input! And now on to the next chapter!

Chapter 45

After rescuing Pepper and the president from the Roxxon Norco, Tony had the last remaining shrapnel removed. He no longer needed the arc reactor in his chest. Surprisingly enough, the doctor who performed the surgery was Dr. Wu, a doctor who he met in Switzerland in 1999, Dr. Yinsen has introduced the two. Tony also figured out how to maintain Extremis stable, solving Pepper's problem.

Their Malibu home was destroyed, but the tower still remained. Days after Tony's surgery, Athena and Pepper looked after him together, making sure he was well rested and the were no post surgery complications. That was their Christmas. Very different from all the previous ones, but a new start.

Currently, it was Pepper's turn to tend to Tony. She was busy cooking up a hearty soup for him, when Tony decided to give Athena a visit down in her floor of the tower.

Though things were better between them as father and daughter, something about Athena was still off to him. Without looking back, the elevator opened at Athena's floor. Athena didn't noticed she had a visitor, she fingers were tapping her phone, but she would quickly stop and put the phone down again to think. Tony noticed this. Something was wrong. Instantly, he knew that the situation involved the Captain.

"Just call him."

"Oh my god!" Athena exclaimed, quickly getting up from her couch, "dad you scared me!" She walked up to Tony, "dad you should be resting."

"I'm rested."

Athena quirked her head the the side, "oh really?"

"Yes, I made it down the elevator in one piece didn't I?" He walked casually around her, analyzing floor, "but you didn't answer my question."

"It wasn't a question dad, it was a statement."

"Either way, why don't you do it?"

Athena sighed, "because there's so much that happened since our last fight in Malibu—"

"And you don't want to talk about it?"

"Dad, you just had your surgery and I don't want to burden you with my—"

"Sweetheart I'm fine, I'm only being useless because of you and Pepper otherwise, I'd go back to finish the remodeling of the tower, what ever it is, I'm here." He put an arm around her shoulders guiding her to her sofa to sit down. By any means necessary, Tony will always be there for his daughter. "This is about capsicle, so tell me."

Athena hesitated, but sighed finally, looking up to Tony, "SHIELD moved Steve to Washington...." She didn't want to say the rest, it was a conversation she knew she needed to have with Tony, but she was hoping that it would happen after New Years.

"....and he asked you to go with him?"

Athena nodded.

"And you said yes."

Athena pulled her hair strands behind her ear, showing her face to Tony, "I did."

"Then what's stopping you?"

"I—I— um..." she stammered

"If it's me, don't."

Athena could not believe the words coming out of Tony. She had trouble finding the right response, but everything she thought of fell short.