MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! Again you all managed to stun me speechless with the amount of feedback I got with the previous chapter. I'm sorry if I can't reply to each reviews but that doesn't make me appreciate you any less. I love you guys. I really really love you! Thanks again!

Oh. I managed to use up all my kleenex while typing this chapter. I don't know about you but that's just me. This chapter and the next one is very emotional for me. Anyway here is the chapter!

Enjoy!

Warning(s): Alternate Universe!
ChildFEM!Harry
Child Abuse and Neglect

Scenes of Child Abuse and swearing present in this chapter. A warning to everyone.

Ratings: T(+)

UnBETAed

Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers / IronMan or Harry Potter. Avengers /IronMan and Harry Potter belongs to Marvel and J.K. Rowlings respectively.


Chapter 4:


TONY

"Sir. Ms. Potts had just finished uploading the DNA testing results to your private servers. Do you want to go through it now?" Tony's head shot up from his coffee when he heard it. He downed the rest of his drink and grabbed his pad and started sorting through his files. His dark eyes stopped at the Pepper's most recent upload. He waited for this for a whole day. That included 20 calls to Pepper which the latter ignored, a new Mark design and five cups of black coffee. Finally, his proof—his evidence to prove that what his gut feeling has been telling him is true.

Tony felt a lump forming in his throat as he continued to stare at the email from his pad's interface. What if the result turned out negative? What if Adelaide was not his daughter? Hesitation suddenly pooled in the billionaire's gut. Of all the time to have cold feet it had to be now. Tony huffed. Will it really matter if Adelaide turned out not to be his daughter?

"No it won't." Tony told himself. Images of a smiling Adelaide invaded his mind.

"No it won't." He repeated to himself, his mind finally arriving into a decision. He wouldn't leave Adelaide alone even if she turned out not to be a Stark. That's what adoption is all about right?

The billionaire focused back on his pad's interface and pressed the email. The couple of seconds that took the file to load felt like hours for Tony.

"Paternity test certificate for Maria Adelaide Evans…" Tony's mind reeled as he read through the items listed in the file. Every single detail, he took it all in. He didn't understand much about this branch of science but he was confident that he could learn to understand it right now. A strong feeling of familiarity gripped him when he read the little girl's full name. She was named as an Evans. Lily was an Evans. If that wasn't enough proof then he didn't know what. He continued to read on.

"… DNA samples from Anthony Edward Stark compared to Maria Adelaide Evans resulted to a 98 percent match…"

"…Match."

Tony's eyes widened. A match! Adelaide's his daughter!

"Sir?" JARVIS voice echoed from the pad, snapping Tony from his somewhat stupor. His eyes never left that one line from the file.

He found his little girl.

He's a father.

"JARVIS call Pepper please." Tony demanded his voice slightly quivering at his discovery. He needed Pepper, he needed someone to tell him that this was real.

"Of course sir." It only took the AI to connect the call and Pepper's worried voice sounded from Tony's earpiece.

"Tony? Are you alright? Did you read the result? What did it say?" Pepper babbled, but Tony didn't care he was still beside himself in shock and glee. "Pepper…" he let out a small laugh. A genuine one. "I just found my little girl. It's a match. I'm a father Pepper! Can you believe it?" He laughs again, switching the call to a video again, he beamed at the smiling face of Pepper.

"Well I'm way past the surprised stage Mr. Stark. You were never really discreet with your previous affairs." Pepper joked, her eyes shone with happiness, happiness for her boss. Pepper had never seen Tony this happy before. Not even when he managed to create his Iron Man suit. Maybe not even then.

"I knew it. I knew the moment I laid eyes on her Pepper." Tony's voice came out a little shaky but the smile never left his face. He shook his head disbelievingly. "This just makes it so real." He mumbled.

"What are you going to do Tony?"

Tony flashed a grin at his CEO. "I'm taking my daughter home with me Pepper. Can you start the renovation at the house?"

"Of course Tony." Pepper beamed at him before hanging up. Tony let out a long breathy sigh, he reclined back to his seat and stared at the white ceiling. He didn't even comment at how dull the thing looked like he would normally. His mind was already elsewhere. Adelaide's his daughter, his flesh and blood and he finally found her. The smile from his face fell when he remembered what Adelaide had looked like earlier when he saw her.


Earlier that day:

For the first time since Tony met Adelaide, he arrived at their secret spot first. Adelaide usually arrives first, but today he was there first. It was odd, but Tony didn't think too much about it. If he knew right, maybe the kid just caught up with the ridiculous amount of chores her despicable relatives makes her do. Tony grumbled. He started foraging around the willow tree to pass the time. The tree was impressive, Tony thought. It was different, resilient. The billionaire thought about getting one planted back at Malibu. He have to check that with Pepper first. He threw a tree another look before a mischievous smile spread through his face. Maybe not.

"Mr. Tony?"

Tony's smile turned even wider (if that was even possible) when he heard Adelaide calling out. He ducked under the tree's leaves and approached the little girl. Said girl had her back turned to him and was wearing even more worn looking clothes.

"Hey there kiddo…" His cheery voice died when Adelaide turned to him. The girl was harried. Paler than he last seen her (yesterday) and there was a dark bruise marring the lower part of her face. Tony sprinted and dropped to his knees in front of her. He gently held her face and looked at the offending bruise, it new and turning darker. He also noticed her split lip, still swollen with hints of crusted blood of the corner on her lip.

"What happened?!" Tony demanded, his eye searching Adelaide's. She flinched, but the little girl was determined not to meet his eyes.

"I fell down." Came Adelaide's reply. She was still avoiding his eyes and was staring at the empty space near her shoe.

"Adelaide…You can't get a bruise like that from falling down." Tony started, not convinced at all.

"Yes I can. I…I just fell down." Her answer was shaky, her whole being was tense. This triggered the warning signs in Tony's head. He wanted to press; God knows how he wants to. But… seeing Adelaide's state. Tony swore that he would do something about this as soon as possible.

"Alright. Let me see that. I think we need to have to ice that thing. That looks ugly. You sure you fell down?" Tony asked, his voice still sounded worried but lighter. Adelaide smiled, split lip and all.

"Hey Mr. Tony? What are you doing there in London? Are you looking for something?" Adelaide asked, in her hand was a small ice pack which was held on against her cheek. The two of them were sitting on one of the park bench near the pond. The old ladies that usually loiter around here were nowhere to be found. Not that Tony was complaining, those old ladies are weird!

Tony stared at Adelaide for a while, thinking of how to answer her. Adelaide is a bright kid, smart, curious. Her eyes were filled with them it made them look much much brighter than it really was. But underneath those things, Tony saw that Adelaide was a troubled kid, her eyes held something that he would sometimes see within his own eyes. Loneliness, pain…

"I'm here looking for someone." Tony replied, he broke away from her eyes and stared at the few remaining ducks swimming in the waters. "I found out that I have a daughter somewhere here in London. So I came to find her."

"Oh. Whoever your daughter is… She's very lucky." Tony turned to Adelaide again confused.

"I mean she has you for a daddy…" her voice was barely audible. "I never met my parents. My Mummy died even before she gave birth to me. I don't know who my Daddy is, I don't even know if I have one. My aunt says that I don't deserve to have a family. That's why Mummy died and my Daddy went away."

Tony couldn't take it anymore. He felt his jaded heart break at Adelaide's words. He gently scoops the little girl and placed her on his lap. Adelaide quickly wrapped her skinny arms around Tony's neck and pressed her head against his shoulder. She was already crying by then. Tony felt horrible. He couldn't think of any words to comfort her, so he just started to rub her back soothing her while he murmured reassuring words to her ear.

"If someday my Daddy will come for me. I want him to be just like Mr. Tony. I wish Mr. Tony is my Daddy…"

Tony groaned before he stood from his couch and stared pacing. He glanced at the wall clock and grimaced.

6:37 pm. Any chance that he called out his legal team to start drawing up papers to grant him custody at this hour would have been close to nil if he was any normal person. But he's not just a normal person after all. "JARVIS send word to SI legal team that I want custody of Adelaide before tomorrow. Make it clear that if anything leaks out they are going to have to deal with me."

"Already done sir. You can expect a call from your lawyers tomorrow morning at latest." Tony couldn't help but grin. He freaking loves his AI. He leaned back to his chair again and sighed. What now? Can he actually wait for another twelve hours before actually seeing Adelaide?

"I don't think so. Happy?" Tony grumbled he shoots out from his comfy couch and called out his driver. The said man jogs out from the kitchen and looked at his boss with a slightly confused look on his face. "Sir?"

"Get the car. I'm picking up my little girl tonight."


ADELAIDE

"Hey freak! Mum and Dad are looking for you!" Dudley's whinny voice called her out. Adelaide was still a couple of blocks away from number four when she was cornered by her cousin. His pudgy body towered over her skinny one as he sneered down at her with his goons for friends lags behind snickering. Adelaide looked up to Dudley's beady eyes and stared back. She doesn't react to her cousin's name calling anymore but that didn't mean that she couldn't make his sweat with her gaze.

"Y-you did something bad! I knew it! I saw you talking to some guy in the park! Dad was not happy." Adelaide's eyes widened. Dudley saw her with Mr. Tony! Cold sweat started to break out from her forehead. Dudley noticed her reaction and smirked at her. "Oh you are so in trouble."

Adelaide could hear her blood thumping in her ears as she approached her relative's house. She was scared. Uncle Vernon was having a hissy fit because of his work and was not in his very best mood. Adelaide cringed at the thought. A pissed Uncle Vernon is a bad uncle Vernon. She was not looking forward in returning to number four.

Slipping inside the backdoor without noise is the easiest part of sneaking back to her cupboard but crossing between the dinner room and the sitting room is not. Adelaide's hand was already clammy when she reached the door. The stench of alcohol greeted her nostrils when she entered. Bottle of alcohol littered the kitchen island, the kitchen was messy. Adelaide gulped, Aunt Petunia would freak if she saw this. Tiptoeing around the mess, she peeked through the kitchen's threshold, checking if her uncle was around.

There's was no one there.

Gritting her teeth, she quickly darted out of the kitchen dashing through the dinner room and towards her cupboard. She let out a sigh of relief when she reached her cupboard door. She turned the knob slowly but it didn't budge.

Her cupboard was locked.

"Vernon. She's here." She heard her Aunt's voice from the living room. She snaps her head to her side just in time to see her uncle Vernon reaching over her and yanked her hair back. Adelaide yelped in pain. She quickly let go of the door knob and grabs her uncle's hand.

"YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING LITTLE BITCH! YOU COSTED ME MY JOB!" Uncle Vernon screamed before he hit her again across the face. Adelaide whimpered as she curled to the corner when Vernon let go of her. She saw her Aunt Petunia locking the door and pulling the curtains over the windows. What are they going to do with her? What did she do?

"WE TOOK YOU IN! WE FED YOU! CLOTHED YOU! AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US? BRING US MISFORTUNE?!" Vernon yelled again, he leered down at her and yanked her again to her feet. He started to hit her face again, his blows getting strong as each hit. Adelaide cried, but she couldn't do anything. Vernon was bigger, stronger. Petunia was just sitting there, watching.

Pain exploded in her head when Vernon slammed her against the wall repeatedly. Adelaide didn't know what was happening; all she knows is that everything hurts. "I-I'm s-s-s-sorry uncle. I-I w-won't do i-it a-again…" she begged. She felt something sticky and red running down the side of her head. Was it blood? Her blood? She could hardly see anything, her face and body was pulsing in pain.

"You really are a little bitch are you? Marge was right all along. Whoring yourself already huh? Who was that man? Who is it?!" Vernon screamed as he kicked her torso after every word. Adelaide whimpered, she lay on her side desperate to protect herself from her uncle's onslaughts. Her uncle knew that she was meeting with Mr. Tony! But Mr. Tony was her friend! Why won't they let her meet him? She didn't know how much more her uncle would continue to beat her. Everything hurts, she couldn't move—everything was blurry, black spots littered her vision before she started hacking up blood. She could still feel her uncle kicking her against the wall. She couldn't even feel it anymore, her body was numbed. She just wanted everything to end.

Is she going to die?


TONY

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Tony asked Happy, the two of them where cruising Privet Drive looking for house number four and so far finding the said house was proving to be a challenge.

Happy glanced at the GPS installed in the car before looking back to the road. "I don't know sir. Every house looks the same… it's creepy." Tony rolled his eyes. They took another turn before Tony caught a house with an embossed number four sign on its door. "Hap, pull over I think we're here."

Tony stared at the house with apprehension. There was nothing special about this house at all, it was…ordinary. He stood on the driveway for a second before he surveyed the place. The house was a barely lit, windows bolted with the curtains drawn. Then he heard it. It was faint but he heard it. Someone was shouting then there was a crashing sound. He threw Happy a look before he approached the door. The crashing sound became more prominent then there was a cry. Tony felt his blood freeze. He gripped the doorknob and found it locked. The muffled screaming intensified. Growling, Tony took a few steps back from the door before ramming his shoulder against it. It only took two tries before the door burst opened. Frantic eyes scanned the receiving room, Tony quickly ran though the threshold and to the dinner room. What he saw inside made Anthony Edward Stark see red.

"ADELAIDE!"


ADELAIDE

Suddenly she could something crashing; she didn't fell another kick from her uncle Vernon. Voices? They were screaming. She could hear her Uncle Vernon. Her aunt Petunia shrieked. She wanted to cover her ears but she too tired to do so. Another crash. What was happening? Who is it? Suddenly she felt someone calling her name.

"—delaide! Adelaide! Hang on baby!" The voices sounded familiar. She could feel someone's hand holding her head. "Oh God! Hang in there! Daddy's got you."

Daddy? Adelaide wanted to know who it was. She pushed herself to open her eyes, only managing to crack one open slightly. She could make out a man hovering over her. Tears suddenly sprang into her eyes as she recognized the man.

"Mr. Tony…"

"Adelaide! Stay with me kiddo. Stay with me alright? Daddy's got you." She heard Mr. Tony say before everything went black.


Yes. I cut the chapter right there. I am freaking evil. Yes I won't deny that. *dodges Thor's hammer* *insert nervous laughter here*

Okay guys. this chapter goes from light to dark before anyone could say Avengers Assemble. Lol okay I'll stop. Anyway what do you think about this chapter? Tell me okay? Writing this was challenging like really. Not when you're writing something as sensitive as this with your least favorite person is loitering around the same room. Challenging I tell you. *huffs

Drop your comments and reviews down below. I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys think about this chapter. I will wait for each and every review while I drown myself with the feels as I draft the next chapter.

THANK YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! See you in the next chapter!

-stolideux