Hey, Spring Break is here and I will have time to write!
Phoenix sat on the airport runway with her back against Pepper's car. She hadn't cried yet, which she was proud of. In the past three months she hadn't even thought about touching a piano, but now she pressed her fingers into the ground, hearing music in the sound of people talking behind her.
"She's not open for questioning." Pepper announced to the dozen plus reporters, she smoothed down her skirt as she turned and found Phoenix no longer in the back seat of her car.
"Phoenix?" She walked a bit faster, trying not to seem alarmed. "Phoe-" Pepper stopped and saw Phoenix, with her eyes closed, rocking slowly back and forth, with her fingers pressed so hard into the asphalt that blood had covered the tips. "Phoenix! Stop!" Pepper dropped to her knees and placed her hands on top of hers.
Phoenix's eyes widen. "Uh, ow." The pain didn't bother her, what bothered her was the total look of defeat on Pepper's face. "Oh, Pepper, I'm sorry. Don't cry."
"I'm so sorry, Phoenix. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you these past months."
"Pepper, you have been there. I was…distant. I as mourning and you did everything right, I just was being selfish." Pepper started to tear up and Phoenix wrapped her arms around her mother figure. "I always look up to you, and I wanted to be as strong as you. To just carry on and look for a solution, but I…I couldn't…"
"I know, I know." Pepper cooed. "I was so worried; you hadn't been you. I read so many parenting books and I thought that it was me, because I wasn't a mom I couldn't…do anything right. I just put Phil on you and the training-"
"The training helped, Pepper."
"Then what," Pepper pulled back and held Phoenix's wrists, "is this? You're bleeding, don't you feel this?" Before she could respond a military plane landed gracefully on the runway. Pepper pulled Phoenix close to her, walking forward to meet the plane.
Pepper straightened her back as Tony walked off the plane with his arm in a sling. Phoenix ripped herself from Pepper's arms, running into Tony. He wrapped, even his sling arm, around his daughter. He kissed the top of her head repeatedly, standing still on the ramp of the army plane that had rescued him.
"Phoenix," Tony released his daughter, "you need to re-color your hair, you're too young to have grey hair." Phoenix backed up a few steps, taking in the messy sight of her father. She shook her head in disbelief and connected her fist with Tony's stomach. He doubled over and fell to one knee. Phoenix flipped her hair and walked back towards Pepper whose jaw hung wide.
"I'm taking the Lincoln." Phoenix announced, climbing into a separate car and burning rubber out of the airport.
Pepper opened the door for Tony to slide in. "Happy, take us to the hospital."
"Burger."
"Tony-"
"I've been in captive for three months. There are only two things I want: An American cheeseburger and a press conference. Drive. Cheeseburger first."
"Tony, I'm worried about Phoenix."
"My own daughter punches me and takes my car. And here I thought she would be thrilled to have me back. Well, she won't be able to have wild parties or invite her hundreds of boyfriends over." Tony sulked.
"Is that really what you think she's been doing this whole time?"
"It's what I did when my parents went to England for two weeks. It was fun."
"Tony, didn't you look at the state she was in?"
"Do you see the state I'm in?"
"She didn't get out of her room for three weeks. She didn't eat for six days. Six days, Tony. When she came out of her room it was only to go to yours, she stayed in your bed all day, not touching her phone or laptop." Pepper watched Tony process the information. "She didn't touch the piano or listen to music. The only reason she took a shower this morning is because Phil has been training her for the past month. Tony, she thought you were dead and the first thing you said to her was about her hair."
"Yeah, I've messed up a lot lately."
"Give her time, and know that she went through things too."
"Mayo or mustard, Mister Stark?"
"Both." Tony turned his head to Pepper. "I'll talk to her."
"Firebird, I got you a present and a burger. Don't worry I asked for no onion." Tony pushed the half opened door to find an empty bed. "Phoenix? JARVIS, where is my daughter?"
"She hasn't been here all day, sir."
"Well, track her phone. Where is she?"
"Her phone is here, sir."
"Find her, JARVIS."
Phil Coulson closed the door on the meeting his was supposed to be sitting in on. "Mr. Stark."
"Where's my daughter, Coulson?"
"I don't know, perhaps you could try Ms. Potts."
"Yeah, tried that. She told me you two have been training for a while. Where is she?"
"I don't know, Mr. Stark. But I can send some agents out to look for her."
"Some? Coulson, I need at least ten."
Pepper sat at the bar tossing two Advil into her mouth. "She'll come back, Tony. If she was in trouble, she would find a way to contact us."
"Sir," JARVIS spoke, "Phoenix has arrived in the Lincoln."
"Finally." Tony shot up from the couch. "Where the hell have you been, young lady?" Tony scolded.
"Oh, now you care about my whereabouts. Nice to know all it took was a punch to the gut. Wish I had thought of that sooner." Phoenix didn't even give her father a passing glance as she walked to her room.
"Do not walk away from me!" Tony yelled. Phoenix stopped walking, but kept her back to him.
"Did you miss me at all?" Her voice quivered.
"Of course I did, Phoenix. I know I screwed up, but give me a little lee-way here, alright?" Phoenix leaned against the wall, trying to hide the fact that tears had started to roll down her face. "Don't be mad a me." Tony said in a low, scruffy, voice that Phoenix had found amusing…when she was 6.
"Stop with the Egor voice." Phoenix smiled.
"I will once you stop being mad at me."
"Then you'll be doing that voice for a while. But," Phoenix turned around, "that would be rude to Pepper who has to spend time with you all day. So, I'm not mad at you." She walked forward and left her hands at her side as she laid her head on Tony's chest. Her head hit something metal. "Dad, what's that?"
"Oh, that. Sit down, kiddo, three months is a lot to cover."
I'm skipping to Iron Man 2 here
"I am Iron Man." Phoenix saw it on every magazine for weeks. "Tony Stark admits to creating the iron suit that was seen flying-" Phoenix slid the newspaper across the bar where Tony was making coffee.
"Oh, look. I'm front page."
"Again," Phoenix pointed out.
"But there's something different about this picture," Tony tilted his head, "I look exceptionally good. I'm gonna put this on the fridge." Tony pushed a cookie monster monster over to Phoenix filled with coffee. "Are you going to the rehearsal with Kloffer?"
Phoenix shrugged, "uh, yes?"
"Well, I'm glad you're confident."
"But I'll be at the opening of the expo. I wouldn't miss it."
Tony smiled, "sweet. Would you give a speech?"
Phoenix laughed, "no way. You get enough public appearances for this family plus some. I'm good with staying quiet."
"Alright, just tell me if you're going to Monaco cuz' I would need a specific suit."
"A specific suit?"
"You can't wear just any suit when you go to Monaco. It's Monaco," Tony said matter-of-factly, as if Phoenix was idiotic for asking. "You know, I'm gonna get the suit anyway. Just in case."
"Have fun."
"Always do."
Phoenix ran backstage just in time to see her father fly down onto the stage in his Iron Man suit; girls in slutty versions of his outfit dance provocatively.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce, my father," Tony concluded. And Phoenix looked up to see her grandfather, a man she had never met, or even really heard of except from
newspaper articles, and thought about how much he sounded like her father.
"What's that?" Phoenix asked as Tony put his thumb on a metal rectangle. He quickly stuck it in his pocket.
"Oh, nothing. How was rehearsal?"
"I got the third movement down." Tony held up his hand, Phoenix had to stand on her tops to reach.
"That's my girl. Let's get out of here. Party's at the house."
"Did you lock the garage?"
"Yes," Tony sighed, "I locked the garage." They didn't want a repeat after the last party when some drunk actor wanted to take the Lincoln for a spin.
"Tony!" Women screamed as Happy pulled us through the crowd. Tony signed papers as Phoenix shook hands with the people she remembered.
"Senator, did you enjoy the show?" Phoenix asked.
"Your father is a genius, a pure genius." The senator was so excited his toupee was slipping from side to side. Phoenix smiled wide and tried to avoid eye contact.
"I'll tell him you said that, Senator."
Phoenix and Tony emerged from the crowd and strolled up to a beautiful car, and a pretty brunette lady standing by it.
"Does she come with the car?" Tony asked.
"I don't believe so, sir." Happy replied.
"Tony Stark. You are hereby ordered to appear before the senate arms committee at 9 AM," The lady said. Phoenix rolled her eyes, she had heard about the people who thought his machines were a challenge to other countries to make something better, something that would destroy.
"How far away are we from DC?"
"DC?" Happy thought for a second. "250 miles."
"Alright, change of plans."
"Mr. Stark, can we pick up where we left off?" Senator Stern tapped his gavel and Phoenix glared at him from her seat beside Pepper. She would have much rather gone to a party than a hearing. "Mr. Stark."
"Yes, dear?"
He makes a jokes, all he does is jokes. And though Phoenix knows he believes what he's saying, she wished he could say it…differently. To where he doesn't sound like an asshole.
"I would know like to call Justin Hammer…" Phoenix rolled her eyes. Justin Hammer? The man who will forever be in Tony's shadow. He's an arrogant man, who smiles through life thinking he'll get anything he wants. Phoenix crossed her legs and waits for her father to make a joke about his suit, or his business, or both.
"The court would now like to call James Rhodes…" Phoenix turned her head along with Tony to see his best friend walk down in his military outfit, not looking so confident. Tony stood to meet him.
Then the Senator made James Rhodes read a part of his report, then he starts narrating over some pictures that make Phoenix bring her hand to her forehead.
"Wait, l'm taking your screens." Phoenix watches her father hack the televisions with his phone, "I need them. Now let's see what's really going on."
"Woah, is that Justin Hammer?" Phoenix can't help but smile as her father once again, gets the last laugh…and a standing ovation.
"That was the most entertaining senate meeting I've ever been to." Phoenix admitted. "Are they all like that?"
"I wish."
"Dad," Phoenix hesitated as they reached the car. "I've made my decision. I'm going to the concert in Monaco." Tony wrapped one arm around Phoenix's shoulders.
"That's great, because the suit I've picked out is amazing. Oh, also did I mention the grand prix is in Monaco. You're going to have to fit that in your schedule."
"A…a car race?"
Phoenix sat at the piano practicing for the performance, she moved her shoulder front and back as her fingers makes the music. At the end of the movement, Phoenix stood up and cracked her fingers.
"Almost there." Pepper walked into the living room a bit dazed. "Pepper? You okay?"
"Uh, yeah. Tony….ha, he just…uh, made me CEO."
"Holy shit! I mean, you basically already do that, but now you have the title!" Phoenix jumps and wraps her arms around Pepper's waist. "Are you happy?"
"Yeah, I am…I am very happy."
Phoenix sighed, "I'm excited for you. There was a time that I was afraid he would make me his successor. But now you're doing it, so that's a nightmare I can put in the trash."
A red headed woman in a pant suit interrupted Phoenix's second movement. "That's Tchaikovsky, correct?" The woman asked.
"Uh, yeah. Concerto No. 1. Who are you?"
"I'm Natalie Rushman, here to see your father about signing over his company to Miss Potts." Phoenix jumped up and slid on pig slippers as she leads Natalie to the gym.
"Pepper, Miss Rushman is here to make you legally CEO," Phoenix say her father kick Happy in the gut.
"Firebird, you're turn. Boxing lesson." Phoenix shook her head and crossed her arms.
"I'm protecting my hands like the Mono Lisa. I'm going back upstairs to practice, have fun…doing adult stuff."
"Dad, I'm not staying the whole time. You know that," Phoenix said for perhaps the fifth time. "I have to be at the theater at 6. I'm not staying for this whole race, and if you want to see me perform then you won't either."
"I know."
"Do you though?" Phoenix asked.
"Tony!"
"Ugh." Tony rolled his eyes at the sound of Justin Hammer's voice ringing through the bar.
"How are you, my man?" Justin put a hard hand on Tony's shoulder as he smiled into a flashing camera. "Phoenix, you get more beautiful and adult every time I see you." Justin grabbed Phoenix's hand and shook it a few times too many. Tony pulled their hands apart started to usher Phoenix out of the room.
"Alright, firebird, no alcohol for you. So, uh, bye. I'm sure there are some wonderful museums somewhere."
"Dad, 6 o'clock."
"6 o'clock."
Phoenix found a local art gallery, it was very relaxing.
"Bonjour mademoiselle," Phoenix turned to see a very attractive young man with his hands behind his back. He had a nametag pinned to his suit jacket.
"Hi, this art is beautiful."
"It is not the only thing in here that is beautiful," Phoenix tucked a part of her newly colored hair behind her ear.
"Oh, well, merci."
"Tes yeux brillent comme du vin mousseux," the man leaned closer to her.
"Hehe, I have no idea what you said but I feel like I should like it," as the man laughed an older woman came out from an office.
"Jackson," the woman said, "venez voir ce qui se passe au grand prix."
"Grand prix?" Phoenix asked. "What happening at the grand prix?"