Tony lit three candles as he placed a picture of Pepper in the middle of them. It had been three years to this day. Christmas eve. That he had lost her. He pushed tears back as he lit the last candle. He had been to late. He was with the Avengers on a mission. When a bomb went off in Stark Tower. Killing her instantly. Now Christmas was a day of suffering, and hating. He couldn't stand a holiday full of happiness, and light when there was none left in him. Since her death he had quite the avengers, and given up being Iron Man. Only a few pieces of the Original suits remain.

"Sir,"

"What the hell is it Jarvis!" Tony hissed. Not wanting to be disturbed on this day.

"There is someone at the door."

Probably Rhodey.

Tony thought to himself as he looked back at the picture of Pepper. Which was taken a few days before her death.

"Sir there insisting that you let them in." Tony pulled his gaze from Peppers photo. He pulled himself from the floor and slowly walked up stairs to the front door of his Malibu Mansion. He sighed when he got to the door and slowly opened it. He was shocked. There stood a strawberry blonde haired girl. No more than twelve years old. She had only a small bag hung on her shoulder, and a baggy looking clothes. She starred at Tony with sad eyes, but didn't say a single word. She continued to stare at him until he finally broke the silence.

"May I help you?" He asked in a low voice. She lowered her head, and pushed her shoulders up high. "Well?" He asked her again.

"Are, are you Mr. Tony Stark?" She asked quietly. Tony nodded. She quickly went down onto her knees, and opened up her bag. She shuffled through the other clothes, and pieces of scarp food she had in there, until she found a piece of paper. She then quickly stood back up, handed it to Tony then looked back at the ground. Tony who didn't like to be handed things, took the piece of paper and looked at it. It was covered in old food stanes, and the writing was smudged and hard to read but he eventually could make out what it said.

To Mr. Anthony Stark. We are here to inform you from the child protective services that Tasha boulder is in fact your daughter. There is a list on the back of DNA samples matching you and a Virginia Potts as the rightful parents of this child. Please take care of her, or you will be hearing from us very soon.

California child protective services.

A daughter? He had a daughter? He couldn't remembering at first where she might have come from but then he knew. Twelve years ago when Tony and Pepper where trying to have a child, they found out that Pepper could not have kids. Devastated they went with trying a sera get mother. When they time came through for the sera get mother to give up Tony and Peppers child, she fled the area taking the child with her. After that pepper couldn't bear the thought of trying to have more children so they gave up on having kids. They just worried about the company and moved on. Since Iron Man became more of a full time job, adopting seemed out of the question too. But now Tony felt strange seeing his daughter for the very first time. She had eyes and hair like her mothers. But a strong and noble looking body that represented Tony. He looked back at her, but she kept her gaze at the ground. Tony smiled slightly, and pulled her into his arms. The shocked girl quickly pushed him off her.

"Sorry…" Tony said sheepishly. The girl looked up at him again. With tears in her eyes. "So, you are my father?" Tony nodded. She then put her arms around him and cried slightly. Tony's days of loneliness where over. But the thought of raising their child by himself scared him. Though he wouldn't show it too her. He wanted her to be happy. Just like he had tried to make things for Pepper as well. He gently pushed her off, and held her hand. "Well no point of standing out here, huh?" She smiled and nodded.

Twenty minutes later. Tony had put the few pieces of clothing she had in her room, then he throughout her old bag and asked Jarvis to order a new one. While he was doing this she showered. Then went down to the kitchen. Where Tony sat down with her after he was done.

"So…Tasha?" She nodded and smiled as she took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Your parents are?

"Gone…" Her voice was very sweet and firm just like Peppers had been. He felt sorry for her though. Not knowing where she had been for a long time. So he never knew that she had been through a ruff spot. "How long have you been on your own?"

"Three years to this day. I have just been wandering around, trying to find someone. It wasn't till a few weeks ago I was sent to the hospital and…" Tony stopped her.

"Why where you in the hospital?" He said rubbing his now full grown beard. He had long stopped caring about his looks. She looked at his worried face, and sighed. "I got mugged…that's all." She said as she looked up at the ceiling. He looked at her with a worried look. She looked at him too.

"But I see Im not the only one who is hurt. What happened to you…um…Dad." Dad. Dad That made Tony smile a little, for just one minute until that happiness was pushed away by a painful reminder that the only women he had ever truly loved was gone.

"On this day…Three years ago. There was an accident. Which killed your mother in the process. That's all." She put her mug down, and looked at him with her deep blue eyes. He turned to her a smiled. "I'm sorry.." He put his hand on her leg. "Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault. It was mine." She nodded a little.

"So is that why you stopped being Iron Man?" He sighed, and nodded. " But, Why?" He took his hand and just walked off. Leaving there alone, as he disappeared down to his workshop.

Tony blew out the candles. Smoke drifted around the room and let a gloomy glow around peppers picture. Tony didn't know what to do. He always wanted a kid, with Pepper. But now that he had found his child. He couldn't do it. He couldn't even last ten minutes in the same room with her. She reminded him to much of Pepper, and after having Pepper ripped from him. He couldn't bear the thought of losing someone like her again. So it was just best not to pull her into his life at all. He turned and looked at Peppers picture again.

"Pep, what am I supposed to do! I don't want to do this alone. " He said in a weak voice. He felt a cool touch on his shoulder and sighed. "But I guess I have to do it." He stood up and headed back up stairs. He found Tasha siting at the counter crying. Thoughts started to race through his head.

Tony knocked over the beer bottles. He couldn't handle it anymore. She was gone. Gone! She had been there just a few hours ago, but now. Now she was gone, and it had been his entire fault. He should had stayed with her. He knew the Mandarin was after him, but he left her alone anyways. He slammed his head on the counter, and let the tears roll down his gloomy face. The only girl he had ever loved now she was gone. Because of him. Because of Iron Man. Iron Man! That's why she was gone. No one would have killed her if he wasn't Iron Man. At that moment he knew exactly what he needed to do.

He picked up his phone a dialed furry. "Stark? What the hell is it its four in the morning!"

"I'm done. With it all." He snapped the phone shut, and threw it against the wall shattering it into a million pieces. He quickly ran down stairs.

"Jarvis! Power the suits to maximum capacity. "

"But, Sir?"

"Just do it Jarvis!" He snapped. He stepped back as the suits began to glow, and buzz loudly. Then one by one they exploded, until there was only pieces of metal left. That was that, he was done. And he was never going back. His mind wandered back to the present.

He rushed over to Tasha's side. He gently wrapped his arms around her. He started to cry slightly two. "You look just like her." He mumbled into her ear as he buried his face into her strawberry hair. He wept some more, as Tony brushed the tears out of her eyes. "I'm sorry, I promise. I will protect you." He pulled his wet face off of her, and flashed a fake smile. She smiled slightly two.

"Now…it is a day before Christmas but, might as well do some decorating? "

Hey guys, it's been a while I know. Ugh school so busy! Anyways this is a new story I'm working on. So expect more chapters soon. Now back to my other story.

Please, please, please! REVIEW! Thanks.