Until the day you stop being so I will continue to say how fantastic you all are.

Chapter 4

Daisy had seen pictures of Tony's mansion before, but they didn't do it justice. Modern in every way, and yet just as elegant as Versailles. And the view!

"What?" Tony asked noticing her staring out the window as they pulled in. "You look like you've never seen the ocean before."

Daisy didn't even turn her eyes away from the rippling waves when she replied, "I haven't." Few things could shut Tony Stark up, but his daughter seemed to be one.

"Pepper," Tony called as they pulled through the gates. "Remind me to add Daisy's fingerprint to J.A.R.V.I.S's database so she can get in." She wasn't surprised that the physical security was as tight as the cyber one. One wouldn't expect Tony Stark to value his privacy, but how far back the mansion was from the gates said otherwise. Daisy could almost imagine she wasn't the talk of the town it was so secluded, and she certainly liked it.

She entered the house warily, wondering at the sights. It even smelled nice, which was not something you'd expect from a house solely populated by a man. Everything about it was sheer perfection, and that was the best way Daisy could describe it.

"Welcome home Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S chimed in startling Daisy. It was one thing to know about the spectacular AI, and a whole other to hear it in action. Honestly, AI didn't do J.A.R.V.I.S justice. He was a spectacular feet of coding and engineering, the pinnacle of Tony Stark genius. Oh sure, he could build weapons to end wars before they began, but J.A.R.V.I.S, J.A.R.V.I.S was the true Tony Stark. Everyone knew that. "Welcome Miss Stark, it's nice to meet you."

Daisy almost felt like fangirling, which would have been odd because she would kind have been fangirling over her dad. (But she had fangirled over Tony Stark before, and had many thoughts that made her wish brain bleach existed now that she knew.) "Oh no, I'm not letting the coolest piece of technology ever call me Miss. Daisy, please, you too Pepper and Happy, please, please, please call me Daisy." She didn't mean to sound desperate, but the name really bothered her. The Miss was bad enough, but even if it was now her name being called a Stark still felt wrong.

"J.A.R.V.I.S, how did you know who Daisy was?" Tony called fiddling with a tablet in the corner of the room. He looked so casual, so at home. Perhaps because it was his home, and it was Daisy's now too. Now that was weird. (She seemed to be using that word a lot.)

"It's on the six o'clock news sir," J.A.R.V.I.S replied pulling up a hologram video of the two on the courthouse steps. Daisy couldn't help but realize how much she actually did look like her dad. Not so much physically, but they held themselves the same way. They looked calm, but the anxiety in their eyes were identical. Everything was so obvious in retrospect. "And has garnered over a million views on YouTube."

Well, Daisy wasn't going back to a normal life any time soon. That ship had very much sailed, whether she wanted it to or not.

"Not bad," Tony noted dryly. "Pepper, if you wouldn't mind staying to help Daisy settle in, I need to go do some tweaks on Jericho…" His assistant didn't even get a chance to reply before he disappeared into the basement.

Pepper rolled her eyes at the man. "His lab is down there," she explained. "And Jericho is his newest project which somehow will be ready for testing in the field by the beginning of May." That seemed like a short time to design a weapon to Daisy, but what did she know about those. Engineering wasn't really her thing at all, and certainly not weapons.

"I see," Daisy muttered lingering around the room trying to take in the sights. She was beginning to feel exhausted, but the adrenaline was still pumping strong. It was an odd feeling, but Daisy was beginning to get used to odd. She'd have to the way her life was going right about now. "You can leave you know, if you had plans. He didn't exactly ask you if you did. I don't need a babysitter."

Pepper chuckled, and went to make some tea for the two of them. "Tony never asks; it's his way. I don't have anything to do though, don't worry. Besides, you don't really want to spend your first night alone, do you?"

No, Daisy really didn't. She still felt bad for Pepper though. The woman had done so much beyond her job description, but Tony looked right through her. "I'm probably going to turn in early. The jet lag is certainly getting to me."

Pepper nodded, handing over the tea. Somehow she knew Daisy took cream but no sugar, and Daisy wondered if her dad did the same. "I'll show you to your room after you finish your drink." Daisy started sipping, not wanting this obvious chat Pepper had planned to last very long. "I called one of the private schools in town while waiting for your plane to land and they faxed over the enrollment forms. It will take until Monday to process them so you can take the four day weekend to relax and settle in. The guidance officer also gave me the name of a couple tutors…"

"Does Tony know about my grades?" Daisy fretted standing quickly. "Oh my God he must hate me for being so dumb. No wonder he won't talk to me he probably thinks I'm a blundering buffoon who can't even finish a sentence!"

Pepper seemed shocked by the teen's outburst. "I haven't shown your transcript to Tony Daisy, and he doesn't hate you!"

"Please don't show him," Daisy begged tears practically streaming from her eyes. "He might not hate me now that he doesn't know but if Tony Stark realizes his daughter is a solid D student he will disown me for real. I'll talk to the guidance councilor first thing Monday and try to convince him to let me start new and not count my grades, just please don't tell him."

"He shouldn't have made that joke," Pepper grumbled before hugging Daisy tight. "I won't tell him. If it comes to it you can tell him. But I promise you Daisy he won't be angry and he won't think you're dumb just because you don't do well in school. There are plenty of geniuses who dropped out… Not that I'm giving you permission to be one!"

Daisy smiled a bit at the end, but she still felt terrible. At her age Tony was already attending MIT, and she couldn't even reach 'average' in Algebra I. "Thank you Pepper. I just… I just don't want him to be disappointed in me."

"I know," Pepper understood what it felt like trying to live up to Tony Stark's expectations, and it was an impossible goal. The man was never truly satisfied with himself, never mind others. "Come on, you've had a long day, I'll show you to your room."