AN – I'm so deep into this story mentally. The future possibilities are endless, especially with a 5 year old (most of which have an attention span of a goldfish) and a 37 year old man (who also has about the normal attention span of a goldfish sometimes). I want her to grow up so badly – I want her to know English and go to school and so much more – but baby steps.
Chapter 4
Everybody's Changing
We all climbed out of the car in front of the giant house and Emily was last. The little girl seemed so enthralled by such a large house before her. She asked something of that other redheaded woman who was sent to spy on me, and she replied something back. I guess it was something like 'where are we' or 'what is this'. If I was a girl who had lived in country-bumpkin Russia I would feel the same way too.
We all piled in the front door like any other day, except for one extra human and Happy dragging in the two small bags she had brought with her inside. Pepper wandered upwards before everyone else moved on, I guess to put away her things in her designated room and to put away my coat and tie.
I was too…something to do anything but follow my child as she looked in awe at my home. No, it wasn't my home. It was our home.
And, if I could convince her, it would be mine, Emily's, and Pepper's home too.
I stayed down and fiddled with something in the living room as the two Russians looked around. I wanted to know what she thought. I wanted her to be happy. I had more things to do than stare awkwardly at a 5 year old – you know how hard it is for me to realize mentally that this is my child? – but my body wouldn't let me do anything else.
She asked questions, the woman answered as best as she could. She kept giving me the evil eye for some reason. What did she think I was doing? I was her boss, after all.
I wanted so badly to be the one ushering her around. I wished she knew English. Oh, that would be a good question –
"Little miss triple-agent – could you ask if she knows any English? Or learned any?"
She kept giving me that bitchy woman glare, but seemed to ask my question anyway.
Instead of a voice afterwards, I saw the small, frail hand hold up two fingers – the universal sign for a little bit.
Really?
"What does she know?"
She asked. What she said next, I never expected.
"My name est E-mil-eia…Staak."
Ten to one, her grandmother had taught her that. Just to be a bitch.
"Does she even know what she's saying?"
"…yes, she does. She said it's her name in case she gets lost."
"Well, at least her family gave her something before throwing her at a guy she's never met. Upstairs then?" I was unbuttoning my cuffs to take off my dress shirt before I even touched the steps to the next story. Somewhere behind me were the two, but I kept hearing Natashatalie calling to her. The curious child – oh god, I don't want to raise myself. As a chick. What happens when she comes into my room at night when Pepper's staying over-
At the top of the stairs I yanked my nice dress shirt off and flung it down the hall in a baseball style throw towards my door. But, as luck would have it, Pepper was coming out of my bedroom when the shirt collided with her face and scared her half to death.
I thought it was funny. Apparently so did Emily. Pepper – not so much.
"Tony, what was that for-"
"I didn't do it on purpose! I didn't know you were there – I'm sorry Mom it will never happen again." I whined like a 12 year old boy being punished. Sure, it would – and did – piss Pepper off to a degree but it was fun to amuse my daughter for a moment with my antics.
I knew I would enjoy having a gallery for my amusement later.
The shirt I had thrown ended up right back in my face as Pepper went on past me in her now-changed t-shirt and pajama pants to make the new-comer much more at home. They three went into her room without me – I was busy putting my own dirty clothes in the right place because Pepper 'didn't need more than one 5 year old in this house'.
I told her I loved her too.
I wanted to be there when she saw her room – I wanted to give her the gift I had created in a way I only knew how.
I wanted to be a part of her life and I wasn't quite sure how.
I changed to a greasy wife beater and some torn-up jeans before I wandered my way into the newly renovated bedroom. If Pepper was going to be comfortable, I was going to be normal comfortable. I wasn't sure that she wanted to see the only man in her life in boxers just yet.
It was one of the smaller bedrooms we had, but I knew it wouldn't be much of a problem for such a young girl. It had been repainted a soft purple, and all of the furniture was now small-sized and noted with flowers. The two women were doting and putting what she had brought away into certain places for her to find and showing the new toys she had received before she even appeared. She seemed most interested in whatever made noise or sang as well as whatever lit up.
She almost seemed delayed. She was 5, yes, but small things pointed me to the idea that she wasn't at full developmental age. You would expect a 5 year old to be interested in books and dolls – not toys that were a little more for babies. I hadn't bought the toys, I didn't know what age range had been bought for – but the light up rainbow piano seemed a little young for her, even if she did like it.
She seemed so very happy. That was something I missed – the innocent glow of childhood. What it meant to be truly without care. In that moment, she forgot that her mother was dead and that her grandmother had thrown her out with a man she didn't know – a man she was told was her father. I prayed silently every night that I got wasted and screwed some chick I wouldn't remember half of the next day that somewhere in all of that I would find that spark I lost at 17 years old.
It never came, but I chased it for years.
There seemed to be a stopping point, so I took the time to cough and get both of their attentions.
"Miss Shield, could you please tell her that I have a gift for her too."
"Yes sir." She turned to the little girl she was kneeling next to and told her something with a small smile. The girl pointed straight at me, and Natashatalie nodded softly.
With no shame or fear, the girl walked right over to me and stared up to my face from so far below.
"Jarvis, translate please."
"Yes, sir."
She jumped at the sound of another voice that didn't seem to be in the room. It made sense – someone was talking and she didn't know where from. For the easiest access, I kneeled down on one knee – just enough to where I was a little taller than her, but close enough for soft talking. I was sure Jarvis would be quite loud anyway.
"There is a man that lives in the walls of the house named Jarvis. You can talk to him all you want-"
As I spoke, Jarvis spoke as well right after me but with the Russian I had programmed him for.
"-and if you need anyone-" I pointed to Pepper, that other hot chick, then myself, particularly my showing arc.
"Tell him. He understands you." I pointed up towards the ceiling as he finished his translation. The girl seemed confused, frightened, and horribly excited at the same time.
She stared at me for a little while, seemingly measuring me up – looking me all over for something.
She said something with a funny look on her face that made her black hair and rounded features look just slightly like my own mother when confused.
"She asked when lunch is, sir."
That was good. She needed to eat more anyway. I was scared to touch her – the possibility of breaking her.
"Sure, we'll feed you. Natasha-" She was quick to walk over and take the little girl's hand, leading her back through her door and down the hall towards the staircase.
"I'll go too, Tony. Ten to one there's nothing fit for anyone under the age of 21 in the kitchen." Pepper walked on past me as well as I stood up and followed her on out. No reason to be in an empty kid's room.
"What about your juice? That doesn't have liquor in it does it?"
"I've thought about it."
"Underneath all that anger, you know you love me."
"Yes, that's why I want to put liquor in my juice in the mornings."
"You still haven't told me about moving in." Why not drop it on her now, when I knew I could corner her about it?
She was quick to whip around at me. Happily, she wasn't in heels anymore – and therefore I was taller. I missed moments like this during the week.
"Tony. …It's too early. I don't know. I understand why you want me to, but Natalie-"
"Natasha."
"Who cares. But, she will be here for a little while to get her settled."
"Then it's just going to be me. Do you really want to leave a 5 year old with me? She and I could start the don't eat and drink coffee club. She's halfway there."
I knew how to stoop too low. I knew I had hit it when I got that specific angry look that she reserved for times when she wanted to either hit me or tell me to go…well, you get the point.
"…In two weeks. After Natalie-Natasha-whatever is gone. Leaving her alone with you for too long might kill her."
"Okay, now that's insulting me. She wouldn't be bored!"
"That's the only thing she wouldn't be." She stomped off down the stairs to leave me alone, leaving me with that one last mental image of Pepper furious at me.
Sure, she was mad, but I had made my point.
I finally got Pepper to agree to move in.
Maybe soon enough, I could convince her to do other things too!
AN – I rewrote this 4 times. Seriously.
I couldn't decide how I wanted it to go, how I wanted to start down this line of her life in the house. It's getting harder to stay around character lines – which is terrible.
As always, reviews and comments are appreciated. It makes me want to write more for you!
