Three Months Later
"Put in data from message JARVIS", I ordered my hands dancing across the keyboard with each stroke of my fingers.
"Data entered Miss", I tapped the screen it getting a close up of the desert sand. It had been three long months of me ignoring the questions of when I'd become the CEO of Stark Industries; I refused to believe he was gone. He wouldn't leave like that.
"Get me to the main frame of the satellite over the specific coordinates JARVIS, I want eyes down there now", it appeared in front of me my fingers easily allowing me to hack into it. I moved the satellite trajectory to scan across the large desert. I had a feeling my father would be crazy enough to move through the desert if he got away. He wouldn't be in the cities because his face would be noticeable so they'd hide him somewhere and when he tried to run he'd try to find a city.
"Miss something is coming up on the left", my eyes ran to the side changing the cameras view to follow the silver spec in the sky.
"Magnetize I wanna know what that is and follows its direction", I ordered my fingers not leaving the keyboard but my eyes moving along the screen.
"It's landed Miss", hope filled me when the spec got bigger and I saw black hair.
"FACE RECOGNITION JARVIS NOW!" I ordered my heart skipping at the familiar face. The scan ran till it stopped at 100% and I let out a sob of happiness. "Call Rhodey JARVIS, please hurry", the ringing tone filled the room till I heard Rhodey greet me. "I found him Rhodey…I found him", I told him.
"What? Where Charlie, tell me the coordinates!" he ordered happiness in his voice.
"I'm sending them to you now", I said pausing the screen. The picture was blurry but I stared at it tears dripping from my eyes to see his face.
"I'm going to him now Charlie; you did it Charlie you really did it! You found your father", I allowed a smile to tug at my lips in happiness.
Later
The sun beamed down on my back but I gave little notice to it, excitement bubbling up in my throat.
"There's his plane", Pepper said looking choked up before wiping at her already puffy eyes. We walked slowly over to where it landed standing a few feet away as the back opened slowly till we saw two shadows appear. I bite my lip as Rhodey helped a figure sitting down stand up slowly; I squeezed Pepper's hand as I heard her take in a deep breath from worry. I tried to not cry as he walked slowly down the incline and toward us; it felt rather surreal to see him again. He paused in front of both of us his eyes moving from her to me. He made a humming noise.
"Your eyes are red, tears for your long lost boss", he teased her. I felt slight disappointment he hadn't noticed my presence more.
"Tears of joy; I hate job hunting", she retorted with a smile.
"Yeah, vacation is over", he said turning to walk away. I felt deflated my shoulders sagging that he gave little mind to my presence. I frowned following behind them slowly to the car. I went to slip into the front with Happy but he made a whistling noise.
"Eh what are you doing? Sit in the back with me", I blinked surprise covering my face as he motioned for me. I slid in next to him and Pepper took the front seat. "Now I know you're disappointed", I turned to look at him. "You already wanted the fortune I know; but you're gonna have to wait a few more years till you get a door with a placard in the building", I felt tears weld up in my eyes and I smirked turning to look out the window.
"Damn; I was really hoping for that placard", I told him and he chuckled. Pepper looked at me through the rear view mirror smiling at me; I returned it before I hesitated my eyes falling to my dad's hand. I slid my hand along the leather before squeezing his gently. He turned startled from my touch his eyes meeting mine; tears were rather obvious in them and allhe did was smile at me squeezing my hand back
"Where to sir", asked Happy.
"Take us to the hospital", Pepper ordered.
"No", he stated and she turned to look at him.
"No? Tony, you have to get a doctor to look at you", she argued and he shook his head.
"I've been captured for three months there's only two things I want; I want an American cheeseburger and the other", he started but she shook her head making me curl my nose in disgust.
"That's enough", she said looking irritated.
"It's not what you think; I want you to call a press conference", he ordered.
"A press conference; what for", she asked but he ignored her ordering Happy to drive.
"Cheeseburger first, you want a cheeseburger", he asked me and I nodded. After cheeseburgers, which I was currently finishing, we ended up at Stark Industries to see several people standing outside clapping as we drove up.
"Look at you", Obadiah said happily helping Tony out the car. "What about the hospital", he asked but Tony waved him off grabbing another cheeseburger and walking off. "Did you get me a cheeseburger", he asked Tony and he chewed into the last one.
"That was the last one", I told him and he grinned rubbing his hand over my shoulder making me smile at him. We moved through the crowds and I paused at the end standing with Pepper to watch the press conference.
"Miss Potts", my ear twitched and my head snapped to the side.
"Yes", she asked the brown haired man in a black suit. My lips fought to not smile at him.
"Can I speak to you for a moment", he asked professionally.
"I'm not part of the press conference but it's about to begin right now", she informed him.
"I'm not a reporter, I'm Agent Phil Coulson with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division", he explained holding his card out to her.
"That's quite a mouth full", she commented and he smiled nodding.
"I know we're working on it", I shifted shoving my hands into my pockets.
"We've already been approached by the DOD, the FBI", she stated.
"Don't forget the CIA", I added his eyes moving to me making me smile at him which he returned.
"We're a different division with a more specific focus, we need to debrief Mr. Stark about the circumstances of his escape", he explained.
"I'll put something in the book, shall I", she asked and he nodded.
"Thank you", he said crossing his arms. "Also Miss Stark, we'd like to speak to you as well about the circumstances", I blinked before nodding slowly.
"Of course", I said and he nodded giving me one final look before walking off. My attention returned to Obadiah who began to speak. My eyes ran to see Tony sitting and leaning against the podium eating a cheeseburger.
"Does everyone mind sitting down on the floor that way everyone can see me and it's less formal that way", he said. I blinked slipping down to the floor with Pepper as Rhodey sat down next to me.
"What's up with the love in", he asked us and I shrugged equally confused.
"Don't look at me, I don't know what he's up to", she said looking at him sharply.
"Nice to see you…I never got to say goodbye to Dad", he said talking to Obadiah who patted his shoulder. "I never got to say goodbye to my father, there's questions I would have asked him", he said loudly to the crowd of reporters. "Like how he felt about what this company did, if he was conflicted or if he ever had doubts…how he felt as a father", his eyes fell to me and I stared at him wondering where he was going with this. "Or if he was the great man we remember from all those news reels", he said wiping his mouth. "I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created and defended to protect them", he met my eyes again looking guilty.
"Dad", I murmured worry making me bite my lip.
"I realized I became part of a system with zero accountability", he said looking through the crowd. The report held up his hand and asked him what happened.
"I had my eyes opened, I came to realize that I have more to offer to this world then just making things that blow up", he said standing up at the podium now. "And that is why effect immediately I'm shutting down the weapons manufacturing of Stark Industries", my eyes widened and Pepper gasped next to me as the reporters shot up to ask questions. Obadiah began talking quickly trying to fix Tony's words.