I'm sorry for grammatical errors and just general mistakes. I'm born this way, baby.

I Don't Have To Be Normal

After they have finished the Chocolate Strawberry cake, and every last strawberry was eaten by Darcy (Pepper couldn't have any, she informed that she's allergic to strawberries), and all laughs and giggles have ended, Tony took the time to discuss some of the formalities. It was a subject he never thought he he'd talk about sooner, but with this kind of circumstance, he felt it was dire to bring up. After all, it involved him and his only daughter. Darcy should not have this kind of life.

In the beginning, he feared for the kind of lifestyle she would have lived if he announced her true birth rights. He was worried, though inwardly, that his daughter would have to suffer the cut-throat complexities of the business and political world. He, himself, went through such painstaking endeavors as young as 14 years old. Howard Stark taught him to drown into the luxury of having a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and lavishly live in the throne of the financial stronghold, with everyone as his subject. People hated him, or worshipped him, feared him or respected him. By the time he was seventeen, with 5 doctorates, he was all left alone with such empire. He took Stark Industries by its reins and molded it into his liking. Every day became a source of public entertainment, as his life was a cycle of weapons demonstrations, photoshoots, interviews, and parades. Beautiful women enjoyed his company every night and he drove the nicest cars. He was a modern-day prince.

And Darcy could have been a princess. She would be pampered, and loved as she is the only heiress of this global kingdom. She'd wear the most extravagant clothes, and lived in the most grandiose homes. She wouldn't be bullied for inheriting his vast intellect, but worshipped for it. Being Darcy Stark, oh how glorious would that be.

But Tony did not want that. To live in material riches and the adoration of strangers, he did not see it fit to his daughter's well-being. He knew the disadvantages of this life. It may be enticing, seductive almost, but it does not fix the fact that he always came back to his mansion with no one to greet him back. No one was there to give him a hug, or cook him dinner. No one was there to say "Welcome home."

He made JARVIS but that wasn't enough. He had Meredith, but now she's gone. Then came Pepper and Darcy. Pepper Potts became his trusted and best friend. She was always there by side, through thick and think, through times of inebriety and sobriety. She put up with every little quirk that Tony had, and accepted it. She made him learn that he doesn't have to be alone in this journey. She made learn that life would much better with friends and family. With love and compassion.

And that's what he wanted for his Darcy. He decided that if he wanted Darcy to enjoy the other abstract significance of living, he should keep her identity a secret. So he kept her inside his mansion away from the evils of his life. He remodeled his father's old office into a small one room home, where she could grow sheltered and close. JARVIS would be his teacher and she would be safe. And every day wouldn't be so lonely. He would come back home with a child to smile and hug him. Darcy would always be there to say, "Welcome home, Dad."

Apparently, that wasn't enough, according to Pepper.

Despite his admonitions and complaints, Pepper suggested that if Darcy was to live the normalcy he yearned, she should go to a normal school. Normal school would mean normal friends, normal friends would normal Darcy. Normal Darcy would mean that the famous Toy Stark and Pepper Potts can never be her parents. For the sake of safety and security, being normal brought his only little girl all the way to New York City and to learn in a boarding school. The thing that he hated the most, a boarding school, was thought to bring his daughter to a better life.

But it didn't.

Darcy got bullied by some pompous rich girl and she became isolated for five years. And apparently, she is friends with some Alex boy! The girl became introverted and secretive and this happened. She gets kidnapped. Now, here she was, stuck in bed in the hospital, with a bandaged head and a bruised neck. Tony grimaced. So much for a better life.

He concluded that he can never fight it. Darcy will never be normal. As much as he and Pepper would force it, they just won't achieve the normalcy they want. Even speaking without the riches and material possessions, the girl has an intellect incomparable to most kids her age. She has inherited the ingenuity and inventiveness that all Starks possessed. That alone, proves that Darcy is no longer part of this ordinary world. It's a sad fact, he must admit. Darcy was never average, and she never will be.

The only remedy to this problem was to return back to where it all began. Where there are no more problems. Where he doesn't have to be alone again.

"You're going to finish the second semester." Tony said, his voice low and austere. He directed it as a command not a statement. Darcy looked up, eyes narrowed with a quizzical stare. Pepper just finished gathering the plates and throwing them out and looked at him with the same puzzled expression.

"I know, Dad. Then I'll go to-" Darcy replied but Tony interjected.

"Hold up, I'm not done yet," he voiced coolly, "Once you finish middle school, you're going back to Malibu with us."

And here comes the screaming.

"What?!" Darcy shrieked with mouth wide open and eyes blinking, dumbfounded, her "NO!" resounding perfectly throughout the room.

"That was an order, not a call for your opinion." Tony stated with his usual indifference. He never exerted this kind of power over her daughter. He always followed through her wishes but the circumstances present have changed. Pepper was right. It's time for him to step up and become a parent.

"No, no, Dad, y-you can't do this," the girl stammered, half-angry, and half-horrified, "No, you can't. No, n-not now."

"What do you mean 'not now'?" he countered, "Do you not see this, Darce? Do you not see what just happened to you?! Do you?"

"Dad, you don't unde—

"Well, I do, Darcy. I do," he was already standing, eyes straight and voice stern, "This? All of this? This wasn't part of the equation. I had all the variables figured out. I analyzed them, modified them to my own advantage and all problems had perfect answers. But this, Darcy, this kidnapping. This was not part of the formula. An outlier in the algorithm. And it threw everything off course. My plan-"

"This is not some math problem you can easily solve, Dad!" Darcy countered, "This is not a program waiting to be rendered to completion. This is my life."

"And I had it all planned!" He added, almost yelling, "And you getting hurt was not in the blueprints."

"Then I'm sorry," she breathed out exasperatedly, fatigue reaching her system, pulling her down with a heavy sensation. But she stared straight to her father's with cold blue eyes, haze with pain and anger. Her voice echoed to the room with agonized venom. "I'm sorry that I'm not like your little perfect invention that can follow your every code and conduct. I'm sorry that I made your intricate little equations into one big enigma. I'm sorry that I ruined everything for you. I'm not a robot, Dad and that is my fault!"

"Stop it." Tony ordered. His tone was strong and powerful but his gaze was pained and conflicted.

"Yes, Dad. This is all my fault and I'm sorry," she pursued, now with gasping breaths, "Maybe your plan would work a little better if it didn't exist in the first place. Yes, maybe everything would be better if I wasn't part of the formula—maybe if I didn't exist a—

"DARCY!" Tony growled, pulling all silence inside the room. The shout was short yet overpoweringly strident beyond his usual aloofness. "You got hurt, goddamnit! I never meant for you to get hurt! A normal father would expect a scrape or a bruise but you got a concussed head and a strangled neck. And why are making such a big deal out of this, huh? I'm not condemning you to some hellhole or throwing you inside a cave. Going to the back to the mansion will only keep you safe and—

"No, Dad." She shook her head violently, "I want to stay."

"Why the hell do you want to stay?" he huffed, slowly calming down.

"Because I finally belong," she whispered. Tears were forcing their way towards their eyes but she struggled to keep them from falling. She vowed to herself that she should not cry. Crying would only lead to weakness and vulnerabilities cannot be afforded at the moment. "I finally belong here, Dad. I know it didn't seem like that before, but I found my place here. I found my purpose. Yes, I'll never be normal like the others, but there are other people who can be abnormal as me. Dad, you see the end, while I'm only seeing the beginning. Bringing me back to California will do nothing good."

"Staying here in New York is worse," he contradicted.

"Why?" she squinted her eyes at him. Tony caught her gaze and averted it right away. Again, with the feelings. He didn't like talking about it. It already took a great hold of willpower to bring it up earlier but to have it come up twice in one day was enough. He only returned a sigh.

"You're not safe here," he exhaled. Where you're not by my side. "Especially when you're all alone."

Her sapphire orbs softened, accompanied by a soft sigh. Knitted eyebrows relaxed as she slowed her breathing. She really did not want to go away. Nightmares might haunt her of the abduction but she'll learn to cope. She doesn't want to run away and she felt like someone is calling her to stay.

What can she do if her father asks the same?

"She doesn't have to be alone," Pepper chirped in. The father and the daughter turned their heads at the red-hair, both realizing that she has not said a word in a while. Her blank countenance stared back with aloof grey eyes, seemingly unfazed by the ongoing argument. She only held her place by the corner of the room and added, "If she wants to stay here then let her stay here." The two looked at her with dumbfounded eyes.

"Oh come on, don't look at me like I'm crazy," she sighed, placing her hands over her hips, "Both of you are supposed to be geniuses and now you're looking at me like two dead fish."

"I don't think you were paying attention, Pepper," Tony reminded her, "I don't want her all alone. And besides, why are you on her side now? Yesterday, you were crying about she got hurt and—

"I'm on both of your sides!" she countered. Then with one swift turn, she goes into her purse to reach for something. The two watched silently as she walked towards the bed to drop the object. It was a small bronze key.

"That look familiar to you, Tony?" she inquired sternly. Tony looked at the key in front of him. He didn't want to admit it but he forgot about the stupid little thing.

"A key?" Darcy piped in, tilting her head, "Dad, I thought you hate keys."

He dropped his head on this his palms and shook it. "I do. It's just for sentimental reasons."

"Since when did you become sentimental?" Pepper scoffed.

"Hey, I bought that house once in Long Island and I donated it to a nursing home," he retorted.

"You only donated it because you retrieved the painting that Pollock painted for the landowner," she snapped back, "It's no longer in use to you."

"So what's the use of this?" Darcy asked as she raised the key to them. Tony grumbled something about it being something stupid but Pepper answered.

"It's your birthday present, Darce," she smiled, "It was meant to be given to you by your father yesterday. Before he changed his mind." The girl eyed the key with curiosity. It looks like a normal key, nothing technological about it. She raised her eyes to meet Peppers, asking for a hint. The woman just shook her head and tilted her head towards Tony. He averted the gaze immediately and muttered small curses.

"It's nothing," he grumbled, "Just a house."

Open wide, her mouth dropped. "You both me a house?! Where?! Here?!"

Tony sighed loudly to hide his growing grin. He expected that kind of reaction from her. Well, who wouldn't want a house in New York City? "I looked for a workshop initially. Then I found this old dwelling in the Upper East Side. Figured might as well buy the whole thing and live in it."

The girl beamed.

"But I take it back," Tony grabbed the key from her, "We're going back to Malibu."

"Why?" Darcy moaned, "You just bought that. For me. For all of us. This solves everything!"

"No." He pursued. Darcy frowned which led Pepper to drag the man into the far corner of the room for a talk. She pulled him close, to his amusement, and looked at him with half-angry, half-solemn eyes.

"You're being stubborn." She stated.

"This is not the time, Ms. Potts," Tony whispered, "My child is still in the room. Do you want me to go book a hotel roo-

"Stark," she huffed, "Why are you doing this? The house is perfect."

"What's wrong with Malibu?"

"You know very well why, Tony. This is why we sent her here in the first place."

"But you were just complaining to me about how we're so far away."

"But you bought a house. We can live there for the time. You have plans for the Stark Expo remember?"

"Yes, I do. But I don't have be in New York to do that. I have you for that."

"Then let me stay here."

"Then who'll tuck me in at night?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "You're staying here too. Whether you like it or not. Stane already approved. He thinks you're working with the Flushing headquarters for the new missiles."

It was Tony's turn to roll his eyes. "But apparently, I'm not needed here." At that instant, Pepper realized everything. She moved her head back in awe of her revelation and released an incredulous look. He arched his eyebrow at her in response.

Pepper leaned in again to smirk, "You are jealous."

"No I'm not," he narrowed his eyes.

"That was a statement, not a question."

"Well, I'm disproving your statement," he retorted. Pepper scoffed. "Doesn't matter. You're jealous."

"I'm afraid you are being delirious, Ms. Potts. Good thing, we are in a hospital. I think the Psych Ward is on the 12th floor. You should go there and brandish that wig of yours to thank the arachnid impersonator."

Pepper gasped quietly, "And you're jealous of Spider-man."

"It is not always safe to make assumptions, Ms. Potts."

"You're jealous that he saved Darcy, not you. You're angry because he's getting all of Darcy's attention," she added, smirking.

"Excuse me, I have to call Doctor Conrad for a new patient—you," he tried deflecting the topic but the stubborn assistant continued on.

"You're upset because Darcy likes another person but you," she continued. Tony shook his head and pulled her close. Pepper showed no reaction, to his dismay.

"I'm not upset," he scowled, "It's just that…"

"That…?" she raised an eyebrow.

Tony took a swift glance to his right to look at Darcy. The girl kept her attention at the bronze key, still figuring out what door it opens to. Her eyes were as blue as the sky, filled with ecstatic interest and enthusiasm.

"Do you see that?" Tony whispered, pointing at Darcy, "Her eyes."

"What's wrong with her eyes?"

He sighed in vexation. "They're hopeful. Unsuitably hopeful."

"Unsuitably?" she glowered.

"She's in this fantasy, you know, that her hero would come to her again. But heroes do not exist, Pep. More importantly, superheroes. Such things are impossible. No one would ever risk their own lives for the sake of someone. They are never purely good, quintessentially good for others. There's always that motive, that self-righteous attitude that keeps these kinds going. Something like revenge, or redemption would be their stimulus, their drive. And that incentive will slowly swallow them up, like poison. They would start doubting themselves, and then self-destruct. Next thing you know, someone will die of their selfishness, or more even, themselves."

The way Pepper's eyes were softening was annoying. She was looking at him weirdly again. He began to feel uncomfortable by the way she was nearing close to him, with such a forlorn stare.

"There's nothing wrong with a little bit of selfishness, Tony. Every had their own kinds of self-interest, I'm sure you know that," she whispered, gently smiling, "Darcy's just a child. Let her dream her own dreams. Superhero or not, she just found another person to admire, to look up to. That not's a bad thing, right Tony? She'll just continue on to grow and mature on her own pace."

Tony hissed. "She'll only get herself hurt. Again. All of these are sacrifices. And sacrifices only bring pain."

"It will hurt because it mattered," she breathed out, "It will hurt because it was important. You think you're not the kind to make the sacrifice play? Sorry you're wrong. You may not know it, but you, yourself, have been making little sacrifices already. For your little girl. And you'll make more in the future. And you will realize that everything you're doing for someone else is worth it. That selfishness in all of us will have a meaning—the meaning to continue on."

"And if Darcy gets hurt, if she falls, we will be there. You know why?" she grinned, "Because we will be there. You will be there. Because you stayed."

Tony sighed. All he wanted was just to move out of this place. How did it get so sentimental?

"When did you become an expert on heroes, Ms. Potts?"

Pepper didn't response. Instead, she left the corner to go back to Darcy's side with a small smile. He followed her and watched her hold Darcy's hand. She took the key gently from her and inserted it into her pocket. "We'll talk more about this later, honey. You should get some rest."

"So are we staying?" Darcy groaned as Pepper placed her hand on her back to place her down carefully on the bed. "Are we?"

"You're tired, and it's not safe for you to keep tiring your brain so much. We'll talk about this later."

"Mom, I just had cake," she grimaced, "I'm not tired."

"Oh please. You and your father always say that. But once you get to bed, you both pass out in seconds. Come on, Darcy, rest. There's a lot to talk about so you'll need energy for that."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, there's a lot of work, you know?" A sly smile crept her face, "We have to check out the house. Move in stuff. Get your toys and gadget. And we have to pick out a high school too. You're moving up soon, we have to be prepared. We have to get you a caretaker too, in case your father and I have to work. So come, rest."

"Oh. My. Gallium." Darcy's eyes widened, beaming instantly, "We are staying! Oh my god, oh my god. You two are staying. We're staying! I have so many plans, Ma. We'll have so much fun! And do I get my own workshop now? The same as Dad's? Maybe bigger? Am I also allowed to use the blowtorch now? I have so many blueprints to show you! Dad, are you gonna program JARVIS in the house too? He can be my caretaker. I mean, he's always been. I don't know about food, though. Maybe we can hire someone. Or maybe Uncle Happy. Can he cook? Maybe I can learn how to cook. Is this gonna be just like college? Dorming? Oh my god, I hope it's close to Central Park, or maybe the New York Library. Also, that means I'm gonna get neighbors too? Like grumpy ones, I see on books, or the really nice ones that makes you cookies and pie. Oh, oh, oh, we should find a high school close to the house. So maybe I can walk, and explore! It could be far too. Maybe get a bus. I've never been ridden a school bus. Or ride the subway! If so, I want a Taser. We'll talk about that later."

Pepper kissed her forehead to slow her down, shushing her to sleep. "Darcy, dear. Tasers are illegal in New York and go to sleep. You ramble when you're tired."

"I'm sure we can do something about that. Dad's a weapons developer, we can improvise. Oh my god, I have so many projects to talk to you about. I have my blueprints in my dorm, or just JARVIS to pull it up and… and…" she yawned, "…and show it to you... I'm gonna take a small nap."

Tony chuckled, and leaned in to kiss her forehead too. He counted to five and slowly, the little girl drifted to sleep. Frantic breaths were replaced by slow, calm exhalations accompanied by quiet snores. Pepper took the blanket and slid it over her body. The two continued to stay still, perfectly enjoying the silence as they watched over their treasured child. It was not long after until Pepper spoke again.

"You asked how I became an expert on heroes," she whispered, grey eyes pensive. Tony turned to look at her, aloofly anticipating her answer.

"Well, I'm not. I can tell you that. I'm not one, so I'm not really sure. But," she chuckled tenderly, her voice becoming nostalgic, "I've seen them. I've spent my time with few. I'm sure you did too."

"Heroes don't have to wear a uniform. They don't have to wear a silly red-and-blue suit too," she smirked, "They just look normal in their own ways. Silently watching over you with careful eyes… like, like an Angel."

"Who are you talking about, Pep?" he asked, as he noticed her voice begin to break. Pepper switched her gaze up straight to the windows, where the cerulean sky hailed. Her grey eyes stared at the slowly moving clouds, gradually moistening. She said her name with a longing sigh, almost like a prayer.

"Meredith."

Did I mention I wrote these 2 chapters on my phone. Booyah!