Stark's little invention

12.Family Dinner

There's a gentle knock on my door, and I hear Pepper's soft voice as she opens the door.
"Peighton, we are going out to dinner tonight as a family, I picked you up a dress!"
"Okay," I say quietly.
"I heard it was a rough day. I'm sorry I should've..."
"It was my fault I was being annoying on purpose. Then I blew up when he got mad."
"Peighton, you're a little girl and he needs to learn how to control his temper, alright?"
"Yes ma'am. Where are we going?"
"A nice restaurant, now lets get you ready, shall we?"
"Sure."
A hour later I have the most expensive outfit I've ever worn on, Pepper even let me where a little light makeup. She lets me into her and Tony's room as she's getting her makeup and things on. I sit on their bed and watch the parent trap... I love happy endings.
When Pepper comes out my jaw almost drops to the floor, she looks gorgeous. I look at the floor and blush when she chuckles at my reaction.
"Wow." I hear from the doorway.
"You look amazing."
"Tony." She chuckles as he starts kissing her. He looks over and finally sees me.
"You look... um nice?"
"I feel like a muppet." I mumble and he smirks.
"Well let's go."
Antonio's a great Italian restaurant. Pepper got a fancy named spaghetti, I don't like pasta that much so I got a personal pizza, when the waiter looked at Tony all he said was "I want a cheeseburger." The waiter looked astounded when he saw who it was and didn't even mention the fact that cheeseburgers weren't even on the menu... I know I looked. There was an awkward silence after the waiter left. Pepper tried her hardest to keep up conversation but she ended up just sipping her water pretending to be interested about the exotic plants in the pots and flowering up the wall. When our food finally came I was surprised to see they actually threw together a cheeseburger for Tony. My food was great, but the desert I got was to die for. A chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on the side drowning with chocolate syrup.
After we had a quiet kinda hurried dinner Tony paid the bill and we all got up to leave. The door is opened up by a greeter and that's when I'm hit with the flashing lights. Cameras, reporters, fans are everywhere. Something grabs my dress, but Happy, Tony's chauffeur pulled me closer to him. We almost had to dive into the limo. I ended up on Tony's lap. To my surprise he didn't shove me off or anything.
"Are you okay?" He said checking my face for bruises.
"Yeah I'm fine, just a little shaken up."
"I'm sorry kid that wasn't supposed to happen, I don't know how the press new I'd be there."
"Maybe it was the waiter?"
"It's a possibility, it's happened before." He takes my arms and helps me sit down in my own seat and buckle up. The tower is about twenty minutes away, so I end up falling asleep.
I wake up in my room, the sun is starting to shine through, so I get up, make my bed, get ready for the day, and leave the room with Chloe in my arms. I smell bacon and eggs before I even enter the kitchen. I come in to see Pepper doing her best to cook and Tony fiddling with the toaster.
"Alright squirt, come fix this."
"Huh?"
"Come... fix... this." He says emphasizing each word. I walk over and look at the toaster, and roll my eyes.
"It's not plugged in."
"Good first rule in this business is observation."
"What's the second?"
"The second is don't ask too many questions in the morning." I huff and jump up on a stool.
"What are we doing today?"
"We aren't doing anything... Pepper is gonna take you to school orientations, and I am gonna be working here."
"Okay, I'm gonna go get dressed." I start to walk away, but Tony stops me.
"Hey, wear that one blue shirt with the arrows on it. It goes with your eyes, and if somebody talks to you look them in the eye and keep your head up, they hate that, Also be confident nothing to be afraid of."
"I'm not afraid. Just a bit nervous," I admit.
"Don't start any fights, unless they start it, then beat the..."
"Tony?! It's not even the first day, no fights." She says sternly to me. I smirk as Tony winks at me mischievously.

(Unknown pov)
"Sir, we've found the child."
"Who hasn't her face is plastered on newspapers, magazines, and Broadcasts across the country?"
"Sir the question now is how we get her out of the safest building in America?"
"We don't, we need to catch them off guard."

(Peighton's POV)
School orientation wasn't bad, it wasn't too good either. Pepper made me go to my room, in my defense the boy pushed me off the swing first, what was I supposed to do? Turn the other cheek? Tony was in his shop so he was about to hear the first of the incident. I hear a knock at my door,
"Peighton?" It's Tony.
"Yes?" I whisper nervously.
"You know I was kidding when I said the bit about hitting people?"
"Yeah, but he..."
"Don't care, Pepper says you should have to stay in your room for the rest of the day, but I say... good job kid," I smile my first genuine smile at him.
"Umm... so we haven't said much about this, we didn't want to upset you, but the funeral... it's in two days."
"Oh, why?"
"Why? What do you mean why?" He's obviously not confused often.
"There's nothing to burry anyway."
"It's just what people do." He says walking out,
"Oh, and did you win?" He says popping his head through the doorway.
"Yeah," I say proudly.
"Atta girl."

11/8/19