delicate | tony stark's daughter (II) ✓

SEVEN

chapter seven;protection

LUCY SAT ON THE MEETING ROOM. It had glass walls, letting her see everyone around her. Tony had been on the phone with Secretary Ross for about forty minutes, to resolve Cap's whole situation. "Consequences?! You bet there'll be consequences!" he said. Lucy's eyes wandered to Steve and Sam who just got in the room.

She stood up from the chair and walked towards Steve, embracing him in a hug. She sighed. "Oh, thank god you're okay" she said. She shook her head. "You can be such an idiot sometimes, you know that?" she said. Steve chuckled and pulled away from the hug. Lucy turned to Sam and gave him a warm smile. Steve's attention shifted to Tony who just got off of a phone call with Secretary Ross.

"Consequences?" Steve asked.

"Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted" Tony said. Lucy's eyes widened. "Had to give him something" he added.

"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve asked.

"Technically, it's the government's property. Wings too" Natasha said.

"That's cold" Sam said, shaking his head. Lucy shrugged.

"Warmer than jail" Lucy chimed in.

--

Lucy was back on the chair, bored out of her mind. Steve was looking at the security camera of Bucky being interviewed. "Hey, wanna see something cool?" Tony asked, walking in the room. "I pulled something from dad's archives. Felt timely" he said.

The girl glanced at the boxed fountain pen. "FDR signed the Lend-Lease Bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the allies when they needed it most" he said. Steve smirked slightly.

"Some would say it brought out country closer to war" Steve commented.

"See? If it weren't for these you wouldn't be here" Tony said. "I'm trying to.. what do you call it?"

"Extend an olive branch?" Lucy suggested. Tony nodded.

"Extend an olive branch" he nodded. Steve paused and looked around the room.

"Is Pepper here? I don't see her" Steve said. Lucy's eyes widened as she faked cough and slightly nudged Steve's seat.

"We're kind of.. well, not kind of-"

"Pregnant?" Steve guessed. Lucy snorted at Steve's guess and covered her mouth quickly as Steve turned to her.

"They're on a break" Lucy said, saving Tony. Steve turned to her and raised his eyebrows. Lucy nodded.

"I'm sorry, Tony. I didn't know" Steve apologized. Tony nodded.

"A few years ago, I almost lost her. So, I trashed all my suits. Then we had to mop up HYDRA, and then Ultron. My fault. And then, and then, and then, I never stop. Because the truth is I don't wanna stop" he said. He paused for a moment before continuing. "I don't wanna lose her" he said.

"I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference" he said. He sighed before standing up. "In her defense, I'm a handful" he said. "Yet, dad was a pain in the ass. But, mom always made it work" he said.

"I'm glad Howard got married. I only knew him when he was young and single" Steve said.

"Oh, really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that!" Tony said sarcastically. Lucy rolled her eyes at Tony's comment. "Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you" he said. Steve looked up at him.

"I don't mean to make things difficult"

"I know. Because you're a very polite person" Tony said.

"If I see a situation pointed south, I can't ignore it. Sometimes I wish I could" Steve said. Lucy furrowed her eyebrows.

"No, you don't" her and Tony said in unison. Steve turned to her and she gave him a small smile.

"No, I don't" Steve nodded. "Sometimes-"

"Sometimes, I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth" he said. Lucy's eyes widened and turned to him, slapping his hand playfully.

"Dad!" she said.

"I'm not finished!" Tony hissed. He turned back to Steve. "But, I don't want to see you gone. We need you, Cap" he said. "So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone. If you sign, we can make the last 24 hours legit" Tony said. "Barnes gets transferred to an American psych center instead of a Wakandan prison" he added.

Lucy watched as Steve picked up the pen and stood up. "Come on, Cap. I still want the whole team to be at my sixteenth birthday" Lucy said. Steve turned to her and gave her a small smile.

"I'm not saying it's impossible, but there has to be safeguards" Steve said. Tony nodded.

"Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, this document can be amended" Tony replied as he sat back down on the chair. "I'd file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated-" Lucy furrowed her eyebrows and turned to him.

"Wanda? What about her?" Lucy asked.

"She's fine. She's confined in the compound currently, Vision keeping her company" he replied. Lucy sunk in her chair, letting what her father said sink in.

"Oh, God, Tony. Every time, I think you see things the right way-"

"What? It's a hundred acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There's worse way to protect people" Tony said. Lucy furrowed her eyebrows as she connected the dots. Tony had not let her go to school ever since the accords, he was calling her non stop after two hours of her gone, and he grounded her. It's all starting to make sense.

"Protection? Is that how you see this?" Steve asked.

"Is this why you're not letting me go to school ever since the accords?" Lucy quietly asked. Both Steve and Tony turned to her.

"Sweetheart-"

"You were calling me non stop after I was gone for literally two hours two days ago" she said. Tony sighed. "And then you grounded me?" she said. Lucy was blinking out the tears that were forcing their way out. "Is this your way of 'protecting' me? Is it about protecting me or protecting other people from me?" she asked.

"Lucy-"

"If I'm not your daughter, would you have done the same thing to me as you did to Wanda?" she asked. Tony stopped and sighed. Lucy's eyes were filled with tears. Her chest tightens as she was holding down the tears. "Right" she whispered as she took her leather jacket and put it on.

Tony sighed. "Lucy" he said. "Where are you going?" he asked as Lucy walked out of the room. Lucy turned to him, her eyes bloodshot red.

"I'm just going to get some air"