The Avengers: A Change of Fate

Chapter 9

When they returned, Stella enjoyed some time in the pool. She watched the eleven o'clock news with Widow, then went to her room. She curled up in her bed and stared into the darkness. Sleep wouldn't find her. She struggled frustratingly to gain unconsciousness, but as much as she wanted it, she was scared. She didn't want to wake up from another terror. She didn't want to have another one, and she didn't want to have to deal with it alone.

The next morning, Stella trained with Captain America before the meeting. She sat with him in the conference room. Tony was actually early, but he didn't give any regard to Stella. They went through business matters, and Stella found herself drifting between the meeting and her exhaustion. She struggled to stay awake till the end of it. Tony grabbed her shoulder as she was walking out.

"Stella, wait. We need to talk."

"Talk about what, Tony?" Stella spat.

"You coming back home. I get that you're mad, but that doesn't mean you can just run away. I have your room fixed up now, and Pepper really wants you back home."

"Do you really want me there?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Am I your daughter or not? Do you really want to have to take care of me and deal with all my problems? If not, then I'm staying here."

"Of course you're my daughter, and I accept all the responsibilities for that. If I didn't, I wouldn't of signed those papers."

"Stark, you can't take short cuts on parenting. Your robots can't do your job for you," Captain America cut in.

"Get out of here, Rogers. I've had enough chewing out from the stupid move I pulled."

"So what does that mean?" Stella asked.

"You promise not to get mad?"

"Maybe."

"I asked Vision to come home with us."

"What??"

"Look, would you please work with me? I need a break from all this. I can't be there for you all the time, but he can."

"You're pathetic, Stark," Steve said shaking his head as he walked away.

Stella sighed, "A break, that's all?"

"Yes."

"Fine. I'll try it, but don't think you can just dump your responsibilities on him."

"Of course not. That'd be too easy."

Tony drove home in his blue Fisker Karma. He was glad he brought it. Of course Vision could always fit in the trunk if he had brought another car, but he could see Stella having a problem with that. Tony glanced at her as he was driving. She sat curled in the passenger's seat, and stared out the window. Vision sat in the back and stared straight ahead.

His presence made the silence even more uncomfortable, and made Tony jump when he looked in his mirrors. He wasn't used to taking Vision out, or spending any time with him at all. His presence in the car seemed unnatural. Tony switched on the radio and tried to smooth out the awkwardness. When they finally got home Stella went to her room. Vision floated into the house and lingered in the doorway. Tony shut the door behind him. Vision looked about the house and waited for instruction.

"Uh, I'll have to build you a maintenance station down in my lab. I'll go ahead and set up access for you too. Until then, the sun that hits the balcony should charge you up enough. You can go ahead and look around, make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark. I assume that your staff and your wife know of my presence?"

"Ah, they will."