I decided I'd put the next chapter up as well! :) This chapter is mostly Tony reflecting on his little sister and starting to get to know her! As I said before, there shall be some fluffy filled chapters to come...but I PROMISE they do lead somewhere! :) And again, THANK YOU GUYS SOO MUCH!!!! :D Disclaimer: The usual! Don't own Iron Man! Anddd.....here's numero 6!!! :D


Tony's P.O.V.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I should be taking care of the press conference issue, but how many times can a guy get the chance to raise his long lost sister? In a way, something about Nicki made me forget about the situation. Hell, the second I knew that I actually still had family, I completely lost all my worries about that b.s.. I had found the one thing my life was missing; the one thing I needed most, even if I didn't completely want to admit it.

I couldn't have asked for a more amazing teenager than Nicki. Yes, she had apparently been obsessed with me, so she said, and so could I tell from the minute I walked in her door (I've had enough fan girl experiences to recognize my posse members when they're oogling at me) but that oddly didn't bother me. I knew that she didn't come with me just because of the fact; just seeing her previous living situation was enough to assure me about that. Also, becoming a brother, knowing that you have a sibling, gives you a sixth sense about things. I felt like, even if I didn't know her for even a day, that I could connect with Nicki, however cliché that may seem. I knew what she was feeling, sensing, her wants, her needs; everything. As if we were the same person, both of us two, separated halves and when put together create a whole. It was more than that though, something unexplainable and unspoken. Like a code; a secret sibling code.

So instead of working out my now outdated personal life and issues, I decided it was time to concentrate on the family. Pepper, Nicki, and I went shopping for new things for Nicki and then to get a bite to eat. After that I intended to show Nicki the suit. It was amazing how much I already trusted and confided in her.

"So Nicki? Tell us more about yourself, kid." The three of us, my family, were in the Audi. Except it was me driving (I had dismissed Hogan for the night along with usage of the Rolls), Pepper in the passenger's seat, and Nicki in the back. You know, like the traditional family style.

"Errr….well" She began. The whole car ride to the mall Nicki gave us basically her entire life story, and it was fascinating to me. It was the first time I had completely honed in on a normal conversation, well excluding Ms. Potts. She described how her whole life in school she had aced every class, almost always getting perfect scores, with a solid 4.0 GPA, and she was offered to move up a few grades constantly. She explained that it wasn't because of the beast she had to live with her whole life that prevented this, but of her own decision. Nicki didn't want to be seen as above everyone else, she just wanted to remain with her friends and be a normal kid. I respected that, it was something I didn't get to experience myself.

So besides the obvious "Stark" I.Q., Nicki also was a varsity field hockey goalie, varsity softball pitcher, a musical genius in band on account of her ability to teach herself how to play every instrument, and a bit of a bookworm. She talked about field hockey like it was the only thing life had to offer; she had called it her anti-drug, well along with softball. She listed all the different instruments she could play and how the band director even allowed her to conduct one of the band's more difficult pieces in concert, a piece that she herself had wrote. Nicki quickly recalled her favorite books as well, ones that she had read numerous times.

She also explained her complicated past, one that stole her childhood innocence at too early an age. Stanley had adopted her due to his short time girlfriend who wanted a kid. She had walked out, leaving Nicki behind with a bastard.

Her eyes lit up as she described her school friends. They meant the world to her; they were all Nicki had…until now. "I mean…I'm not super close to them…the closest would be to Sammi, but even she doesn't fully get me. Plus…I can have anger management issues sometimes, which kinda drives people away." How could anyone be driven away by her? As far as I could see, Nicki was the most amazing and beautiful little girl I'd ever seen; she was everything.

"Is that all?" I couldn't contain the sarcasm after she had ceased conversation. She had talked the entire car ride, not that I minded.

"Well…" She hesitated, releasing a nervous laugh. "I'm also very interested in all sorts of sciences. I mean…I really do love it more than anything. You inspired that one, Tony." I couldn't help but smile at this. That's my girl.

"Anyways…"There was a sense of nervousness in her voice again. "I love...engineering out of all of them. I guess I really am a Stark then, huh?" She uttered a soft laugh.

"No doubt about that." I replied. "God, though. Finally, someone who understands my angle on things! Looks like I have some help down in the shop now."

We were pulling into the mall parking lot. Luckily, it was easy to find a spot because it was a weekday, thank God.

"Tony, I doubt Nicki wants to sell her soul to living down there like you do." Pepper commented, accompanied by her forever beautiful, soft smile. Pepper had agreed to come along on our spree instead of retiring home for the night because one, I think she genuinely was interested in Nicki and wanted to be just as much a part of her life as I would be and two, since I understood almost nothing about the feminine species, she wanted to mediate the process. I would honestly screw this up alone.

The three of us stepped out of the car and into the warm, breezy fall air that engulfed the mall parking lot. I locked the door and we all embarked on our mission.

"So girls, where do we begin?"