Hello. I'm back.
I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Thanks to NeverNik. Who helped me with this chapter and was kind to me.
Disclaimer: This fanfiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Disclaimer: I don´t own Iron man.
A hug, have a good day
Two: The boy with the strange name and the lonely girl
It's a Sunday afternoon when his daughter's life changes.
Of course, if you ask Michael Potts, if he ever thought it would be like that, he'd deny it and laugh later at the irony.
He opens the door after the fourth noisy knock and meets the deep brown eyes of a child, no older than six years old.
Michael's eyes rove over him for a couple of seconds, and he has the weird feeling that this child can read him like a book.
Strange.
Michael shakes his head to clear it, waiting for the little boy in front of him, to speak. He looks nervous, his lips forming a thin line, while his hands tightly squeeze an envelope of colors.
The child takes a step back, closes his eyes and breathes deeply. Michael watches, intrigued.
It takes more than three seconds for the child to open his eyes, and take another step back. One of his hands ruffles his hair, full of dark curls.
"Tony."
The deep voice booming from behind, belongs to an older boy. Unlike the child in front of him, he is a tall blond, plump and with a look of discomfort that could fill a room. "My reading club starts in ten minutes."
The boy turns around, frowning. "I told you I could do it alone, Julian," he claims with disdain. Too much for such a small child.
"I'd say not, given the current situation," the boy replies with mockery.
"I can do it!" the boy emphasizes again, clinging harder to the envelope that occupies his right hand. "I can do it. "
The boy... Julian. Sighs, adopts a straight posture, and puts his hands behind his back. His eyes are fixed on the little boy, prompting him to do what he has to do.
Tony scuffs the ground a couple of times, turns around and takes another breath.
Michael would have laughed if he wasn't a child.
"Mr. Potts," the boy begins with a trembling voice. "My name is Anthony Edward Stark." He bites his lip.
Recognition comes to Michael. "Stark." The Stark who's the abuser of his little girl, the braggart who brought tears and sadness to his precious Pepper's face.
Michael's face contorts, and he's completely sure the child sees it.
"I'm going to say this just once, little boy," Michael begins. "I don't want you near my girl, no...
"NOO!"
It's the surprising cry of the little one that leaves him speechless.
"Please, no!" A tear escapes down his cheek. "I'm sorry!"
His lip trembles, and more tears fall. Michael feels his heart plummet. His resolution dies at the boys' words. "Please, no!"
He's about to approach the child when he hears Julian's voice.
"I deeply apologize for my little cousin's behavior," he begins. His eyes are hard to read but his face is in anguish at seeing his brother cry. "Tony laments his actions, recognizes that he's failed terribly, and promises that it will not happen again."
Julian's hand takes Tony's small hand in his. A comforting gesture that does not escape the notice of the man before them.
Michael nods, not knowing what to say. His harsh words have caused so much anguish to Tony that now it's he who feels bad.
"I ask you to reconsider your words, Mr. Potts. My cousin is temperamental, and the thought of being away from your daughter causes him pain."
Michael sighs. The twelve-year-old, maybe thirteen year old, is right. Tony is just a child, after all, and he looks repentant enough.
"Do you really regret it, Tony?"
Tony's brown eyes meet his. His face is a mixture of redness and tears. He nods, his lip still trembling.
"I..." he sniffs. "I promise not to hurt her; again."
Michael's look is serious. In his hands lies the decision to let his child remain with her bully or make sure he stays away from her.
Decisions
Michael bends down to the boy's height. "Repenting and admiting our own mistakes is brave, so Tony, I'll give you a chance," he says quietly. "Pepper is the most special thing I have in the world, my everything; I will not allow you to hurt her again. "
Tony nods solemnly, placing the palm of his hand on his chest. "I promise to always take care of her, Mr. Potts."
Michael smiles. There are promises that are forgotten or not fulfilled. But this one, will be marked in the mind and heart of a man, a child with deep brown eyes like the sea and a plump blonde cousin, seriously overprotective.
"Then you are welcome in this house, Tony. You are welcome in my daughter's life."
Tony smiles triumphantly, dancing a little jig of joy, while his brother just stares, muttering something that Michael can't understand.
But his smile doesn't last long, when he sees the figure on the other side of the door.
Pepper's wearing a set of small pink butterflies in her hair, two matching butterfly loops in a darker shade of pink. Her eyes are wide when they look at the boy. Then her gaze travels to the blond young man, and finally, to her father.
There is a mixture of confusion in her features, a mixture she has clearly inherited from her mother.
"Pepper," Tony says softly. She shakes her head, refusing to meet his gaze.
She is upset, her father knows that.
"Honey," Michael begins. "Tony has come to apologize to you."
She denies it with her head, her eyes on the ground.
"Look at him, honey, he's making an effort."
A pout crosses her pretty face. "But he's always mean to me."
Tony grimaces at the words, then frowns, and a tear rolls down his cheek again.
Michael's voice is soft. "Do you remember what Mummy used to say?"
The beautiful eyes of his daughter look at him with such fragility that he feels his own heart skip a beat. It's like looking into his wife's eyes again.
Pepper nods. "We all have a good side, we just have to open our eyes and heart and look for it."
Michael smiles and kisses her cheek. "That's right, honey." Another kiss is deposited on her forehead. "Why don't you listen to what Tony has to say, yes?"
Pepper nods calmly, walking towards the boy.
In two steps she's in front of him, Michael can see by the way Tony looks at her, that he's looking at an angel. It's at that moment he knows he's made the right decision.
He's only able to witness their interaction with surprise. His daughter never ceases to amaze him.
Such as when she graciously places her small hand on Tony's cheek to wipe the treacherous tears that keep running down it. She smiles sweetly, and the boy's cheeks redden and his lips tremble.
"Are you okay?" asks his sweet little Pepper.
Julian appears as interested in the scene as much as Michael is, it seems that he's seeing a completely new side to his brother.
"I'm sorry," Tony says sadly.
His hand extends out to Pepper to deliver her the envelope of colors. She takes it with curiosity. Her hands find a drawing of a smiling redhead girl wearing a dress of bees, and a small boy taking her hand. There was also a red paper with some words written on it.
She approaches her father, looks at him and hands him the paper.
Michael knows that his daughter is incredibly intelligent, but she tends to stutter, when she is very nervous, and often when she reads out loud. He knows she doesn't want more teasing, and he fears that it may come from Tony.
Michael takes the paper and reads each line.
I'm sorry.
I didn't want to push you.
I didn't want to pull your hair.
Anthony Edward Stark.
PS: I like your hair.
Like you dressed as bees and your pigtails.
Pepper smiles instantly. It's one of those unique, bright smiles.
She looks at Tony and kisses him on his cheek. He feels his cheeks flush pink.
Michael laughs at the gesture, just like Julian.
"Thank you," she smiles. Her eyes light up with recognition, when he understands the meaning of everything. Her mouth falls open. "You want to be my friend. "
Tony smiles in return, nodding.
Pepper quickly takes his hand. "Come on, Daddy and I are making chocolate biscuits."
Tony turns around to look at his cousin, a question on his face.
Julian shrugs. "I could never say no to chocolate biscuits."
Michael smiles. He never thought he would see his daughter so happy again, especially when he remembers how it all began.
A month and half ago.
Like the other parents at the playground who reach down to push hair out of their childrens' eyes and kiss them sweetly on the forehead, he does the same thing.
His heart hammers in his chest, and he looks up at the sky like he's praying for strength.
Michael Potts wraps his bare hands around Pepper's gloved ones, and holds them for a moment. His expression is wretched, like it pains him to do this, and Pepper tries to pull the gloves off, but he stops her, his grip gentle but firm.
"It'll get better, I promise," he says to her. His voice is thick with emotion. "I know it's not easy to be younger than everyone else all the time, and it must be— God, I know you feel alone, all the time. And Mommy isn't here… but." Michael squeezes Pepper's hands like he's the one imploring now: "believe me. You'll be okay. I promise. I promise."
Pepper breathes into the space between them, and her eyes start to water again, but for a completely different reason.
"Daddy"
But he shakes his head. He lets go of Pepper's hands and hovers his own on at either side of her face, like he wants to cradle her but even the idea of it is too painful.
"I love you, honey. "
She gives him a smile so tender that his soul sings. "I love you too"
She is his gift, the apple of his eyes. So he has to be strong for her, keep going and be better for her. Fight for her.
He remembers the words of the child psychologist.
Children are very resilient. Let her interact with others kids her age, make her feel at ease.
"Remember that the teacher is going to call you Virginia unless you tell her you want to be called Pepper."
She nods quickly, as if there is nothing else to worry her. As if everything is fine. As if she hasn't just lost her mother. As if they hadn't just moved to a new city. She is strong. His beautiful girl is strong, stronger than he ever was.
They make their way across the parking lot to the sidewalk in front of the school. They visited the school just two days before so Pepper could meet her teacher and see her classroom, but he wanted to walk his daughter in for her first day.
Suddenly Pepper lets go of her father's hand and turns to look at him, smiling brightly and gripping the straps of her bee book bag, "Mummy said I have to be brave, I can do this Daddy."
Michael doesn't have a chance to say anything before she turns and runs into the school as if she's been going there her entire life.
He prays that he can be as brave as her. Then, when a smile grows on his face, he goes.
Ms. Mills has been a teacher for almost five years when Virginia Potts arrives at her class.
She's a shy, kind and incredibly sweet girl.
This is her first impression after meeting her in the principal's office.
She has blus eyes that can melt anyone's heart, and a sad smile that squeezes those same hearts out everyone who knows her.
Ms Mills has read the reports, knows what happened to the girl's mother. She succumbed to such a cruel illness, leaving her husband and daughter alone. This little girl of five years of age, has lived through one of the most heartbreaking experiences of any person's life, and she still suffers, lonely in a resentful life.
Ms Mills decides she will do everything in her power to help ward off the pain from this sweet girl's life.
She swears this as she watches her closely.
It's Pepper first day of school. Her first day in a new environment, full of new people.
She clutches her backpack, takes a deep breath and looks around. Her hands tremble visibly, Ms Mills can't deduce whether it's because of the cold or nervousness, but she believes it's a combination of both.
Her eyes open wide as they light on Ms Mills, who smiles kindly and takes her hand.
"Come on, Virginia, it's time you met your new classmates."
She doesn't say anything, just follows her. After a while Pepper speaks.
"Pepper" she says very low. "Daddy calls me that."
Alice Mills smiles. "Pepper it is, then."
They walk comfortably to the classroom. Pepper answering each of Ms Mill's questions simply.
"Good morning everyone! A new school year begins and I'm sure this year will be full of much learning and fun." She smiles. "I also have the honor of welcoming a new student."
Alice beckons to the little girl standing shyly behind her.
"Class, give Pepper Potts a big round of applause! She just moved to town with her father, so I want each one of you to make her feel at home."
James Rhodes, the little boy, is the first to applaud. A big smile is drawn on his face as he leads Pepper to a seat next to him and shows her his reading book.
Ms Mills smiles. A great year, in fact.
It's a week later that the great year that she'd foreseen, fails, and the problems begin.
Problems that have a first and last name. Tony Stark.
Problems that start on a cold morning in the playground with Pepper sitting next to the swings, watching everything carefully.
Her eyes move naturally to each person, each object, until they stop at the child with dark curls who leans on the grass with a heavy book of exotic animals. A gift from his uncle.
Pepper smiles while looking at him. She likes him, Alice can tell. Tony stands out easily from the crowd, is an incredibly intelligent child, outstanding in many ways if compared to his peers, demanding, and incredibly lonely.
Maybe that's the reason why Pepper always watches him.
She can see herself reflected in Tony. Like him, she is alone. Only with the knowledge of a loyal friend in common.
James Rhodes, who runs with another of his colleagues in what seems to be a competition find out who is the fastest in the class.
James who has grown fond enough of the girl to help her with her classes, to teach her the school song and even to walk with her in the playground.
But now the lonely girl takes the steps to approach Tony.
Alice watches her intently while eating her cheese sandwich.
Tony's eyes open in terror, when he sees her standing close to him. He frowns and tightens his lips tightly.
For one, two minutes he stares at her without knowing what to do.
He looks terrified.
Pepper smiles, trying to cheer him up. And that's when it happens.
A blow sends her to the ground. A push from the genius boy.
She falls to the ground and Tony runs without daring to look back.
Ms Mills rushes to help Pepper up, but James is already at her side, holding her hand and smiling fondly at her.
"Come on, Pepper, I have gummy bears. They'll make you feel better."
Worry evaporates from Ms Mills face when she sees Pepper smile.
Thank God for James Rhodes.
Hours later, she manages to talk with Tony.
Well, actuallly, she talks and the child stands without saying a word, just looks at her paralyzed.
This is the first time it happened.
Strange.
She hopes it won't happen again, but that is not the case.
This time, it's Adrian Robert who starts the problems.
It's the second week of school, and the spoiled child and his close friends start mocking the little redhead's pigtails.
She doesn't say anything, but judging by her expression Alice knows that the comments cause her pain.
Adrian and his friends end up being punished at the end of class.
But something else that catches her attention the next time Alice sees Pepper.
Pepper's ties are gone. Her hair is disheveled by the wind.
Alice asks her what happened, but she doesn't say a word. Just looks in Tony's direction and he looks away.
This is becoming more and more strange every day, is her thought at the end of class.
…..
Pepper is incredibly intelligent. That's the second thing Alice noticed that week.
She likes science, mathematics. She's able to answer every question easily.
She excels in class despite the constant mockery of her stuttering while reading out loud.
Maybe that's why, Tony feels jealous and watches her closely from his seat.
His face is a constant grimace. He looks confused. Why? Alice still doesn't understand it, but she will make sure that she will.
Ironically, she understands at the end of the second week.
Each of her students is copying the lines off the board, each one, with the exception of Tony Holmes, who looks at the person sitting in front of him. He looks at the pink ribbons in her hair in great detail. His eyes open with wonder at the rays of the sun that are projected in haloes around Pepper's red hair.
His hand reaches out to touch Pepper's hair, and the colour of his cheeks grows red.
Tony shakes his head to himself, mutters and removes his hand.
But that is only the end of the first period.
Ms Mills is writing on the blackboard when a sharp scream interrupts her class during third period.
She turns quickly, to finding an altered Pepper and a furious Tony.
Pepper opens her mouth angrily, her disheveled hair falling over her shoulders.
Ms Mills meets Tony's face, who goes from being upset to looking completely sorry. Especially when he looks at Pepper's face.
The pink ribbons tighten in his right hand, and he drops the offending objects to the ground.
James Rhodes, at his side, laughs, picks up the pink ribbons and gives them to Pepper with a smile.
She smiles in return, which earns another murmur from Tony and another new cry from Pepper.
Ms Mills stands in front of his seat in three short steps, unimpressed with the child's behavior. Two pulls of her hair in a single period.
"Come on, Mr. Stark, we have to talk. "
His fingers drum as he walks next to her to the break room; he sits down straight and automatically lowers his gaze.
Ms Mills sighs and sits next to him on the big brown sofa.
"Anthony, you are one of my most outstanding students. It isn't necessary that I tell you that because you know it."
His mouth opens. He mutters under his breath.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?Why did you behave that way?"
His hands now make patterns on his legs.
"You're in trouble Anthony, Do you understand that you can't behave like that with your classmates?"
Tony nods, his gaze unable to meet Ms Mills's.
"Do you want to say something?"
Tony shakes his head.
"Honey, " she starts. She tries to come up with a question that he may be able to answer. "Do you like Pepper?"
At this question, his eyes light up and his hands stop the pattern he created on his legs.
Ms Mills smiles knowingly. Is that was this is about? A crush? That explains the pushes, pulling of hair, and the constant looks. And the jealousy.
She gave him a small smile.
"I'll just make a reprimand this time, Tony. But this can't continue to happen. Pepper is a very nice girl. To treat her badly, is wrong. Do you understand? "
Tony nods, and runs out of the room in a hurry.
Ms mills lets out a sigh that she didn't know she'd supressed.
She can only dream that all of this stops.
Pepper's POV
It is the start of the third week when the third incident occurs.
She opens the classroom door with trembling hands, slightly embarrassed at being late. Her father had fallen asleep, completely altering his routine.
"Sorry I'm late, Ms Mills." Her voice was a soft whisper from the door.
The eyes of her companions rest on her, and her gaze falls to the ground while she wrings her hands nervously. Her blue eyes shine. She wears a nervous smile and rosy cheeks. Her fists grip the straps of her backpack.
She looks up slightly. Tony's brown eyes are on her and his face has become hot. He´s pretty. Very pretty when he looks her and doesn't frown.
His hand holds the chalk with force while he looks at her. Ms Mills speaks to him with sweetness, trying to make him realize the mistake he´s made with his problem. But Tony doesn´t move, he just looks at her with his red face.
Pepper's heart beats very hard in her chest as she feels her face warm. She tilts her head and smiles. Tony's cheeks reddened even more.
The sound of the scoreboard against the ground and the laughter make Tony nervous.
His big eyes open. He looks at his companions, at Pepper, at the teacher and finally at the blackboard. He starts to panic. He's realized that he completed the problem incorrectly.
His lower lip trembles. Pepper's heart skinks, when her companions make fun of Tony.
"Ooohhh! The child genius was wrong!"
"From looking at Pepper!"
She wants to hug him, tell him that everything will be fine, as her father usually does when she´s sad. So she approaches him.
Her hand touches his shoulder gently. He takes a step back, angry; his face makes her feel sad.
Sad for the cute-eyed child who everyone annoys. Sad to see his pretty face annoyed.
She is about to touch him again, when the chestnut-haired boy pushes her to the ground. "Don't touch me!" he yells at her.
"Ooohhh!" resounds around the room.
The ground is hard against her legs. Her eyes fill with tears.
He looks at her with tears in his eyes and trembling lips as he goes to the principal's office.
She cries for a while on the ground until she feels the reassuring arms of Ms Mills hugging her back. Her movements are slow. She looks at Pepper and smiles.
Her voice is soft, like that of a mom, and gentle when she helps her straighten her dress.
"Will Tony be okay?"
Ms Mills frowns and lets out a sigh. "You're such a good girl, Pepper. He'll probably be punished for a while. He did something bad. He shouldn't pushed you like that. He needs to understand that in this school, respect is very important. "
Pepper's eyes fill with tears again. Her heart is saddened by the chestnut-haired boy. Tony is bad at times with her, but she knows that he is a lonely child. Maybe he doesn't know how to make friends. Maybe he doesn't like Pepper, or thinks she's ugly.
But still, she wants to help him. It hurts her to not to be able to.
"I'm sorry." She says.
"It's not your fault, Pepper. You shouldn't feel bad about it. Come on, let's find something to read."
She wipes her eyes and nods.
Michael remembers the tears that constantly escaped from his daughter's eyes when she returned from school.
He knows that adaptation hasn't been easy for her. He knows the problems she's had due to the conversations he's had with her teacher Ms Mills.
But seeing the smile back on her face, he gives thanks and joins that beautifulsmile.
"Daddy"
The voice of his daughter brings him back to reality. He shakes his head to clear it and turns his attention to his little girl. "Can we have vanilla biscuits too?"
"Everything my princess wants." he says, smiling. Pepper's smile is even bigger.
That day generates a 180 degree change in the life of his daughter and even in her own life.
Tony Stark becomes a constant presence in his house. He goes to visit every day after school, accompanied by Julian, despite his obvious annoyance.
Tony is a good friend. Helps Pepper with her homework and even teaches her new subjects.
Michael sees first hand how the child talks to him about exotic animals, pirates, theories, discoveries and scientific feats.
He thanks God for having him in his daughter's life.
Later on, another child appears. He is kind and somewhat shy.
His name is James Rhodes. He's just as attentive as Tony is with his little girl, but a little more cautious when it comes to playing with things that can explode or mess up his kitchen, if you compare him with the genius child.
Her daughter now has two friends, and Michael is happy with it.
Very happy indeed.
It isn't until the second letter Tony wrote arrives, that Michael begins to wonder if his daughter is too young to have two friends who are boys.
This time, the letter comes in a golden envelope, the yellow paper written with tiny letters and a drawing on the bottom.
Two children are holding hands and what appears to be a pirate ship is by the boy's side.
Michael smiles when the words leave his lips, while Pepper looks at him carefully.
Pepper, don't marry James.
It's a long time before that can happen, and it's a decision that only adults take.
It's something that you must think about pretty hard.
Anthony Edward Stark
PS: I still like your hair a lot.
Like you dressed as bees and your pigtails.
Pepper frowns. "I'm not going to marry James," she laughs. "I'll marry Tony," she says casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Alarms sound in Michael's head.
Yes. Definitely.
Pepper is too young to have two friends who are boys.
TBC... More to come.
I hope you are with me in this story. There is a fun trip to tell.
If you take the time to read, please take time to comment.
Feel free to let me know what you think. Questions, suggestions, opinions, anything goes.
Kisses and hugs.