Lily's P.O.V.
My dad led me back to Emma's house. Good thing, too. I was in no way prepared to return to that picnic.
"What do you want for lunch?" My dad asked as we walked inside. I followed him into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
"I don't care. Anything." I answered.
My dad walked into the pantry and returned with a blue box.
"Mac and cheese?" He asked.
"Sure!" Macaroni and cheese is my favourite food. I ate it so much as a kid. It is my comfort food. I lived off that stuff after my mom died.
"This is the single greatest food on the planet!" My dad exclaimed as he began filling up a pot with water.
"I completely agree. Wait, you like Kraft mac and cheese?"
"I ate it a lot as a kid. Mr. Jarvis, my butler, used to make it for me. When I started at MIT, Rhodey taught me how to make it. It's one of the few things that I can actually cook. Hotdogs also fall under that category."
"That is about the extent of my cooking skills as well. Why don't we ever have it at home?"
"Pepper doesn't like it. She is such a spoil-sport! I only eat it when she isn't home, or when I am working late in the shop or something. I actually have an entire cupboard dedicated to it downstairs."
"Really? Well next time you make it, I will join you."
"Deal!"
A few minutes later, my dad joined me at the table and we dug into our bowls of cheesy deliciousness.
"This is so good!" I said, not caring that I was talking with my mouth full.
"Do you want to know what makes it better?" My dad asked, getting up and walking towards the fridge. "Ketchup."
My dad returned with a huge bottle of Heinz and squeezed it all over the remainder of his pasta.
"That is so gross!" I said, scrunching my nose.
"What? No! This is pure genius whoever thought of this!"
"No. It ruins the perfect ratio between noodles and sauce. If mac and cheese was meant to have ketchup in it, it would be in the box."
"So, does that mean that you don't like wieners in it either?"
"Nope. I like mine unaltered."
"You're missing out, Lily." He said, shaking his head. "This stuff is magic!"
After we cleaned up the kitchen, my dad and I sat in front of the TV, perfectly prepared to spend the remained of the afternoon there. We had hardly even gotten 10 minutes into the science documentary when his cell phone rang. My dad sighed as he looked at the caller ID.
"Sorry, Lily. I have to take this. I'll be back in a minute." He got up and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Look, I know that what I did next was wrong, but it's not my fault. My dad never takes calls unless Pepper forces him too. This must be quite important if he actually took it and left me (and the TV) to do it. That is how I found myself with my head pressed against the door.
"No." I heard my dad say very sternly. I have never heard him talk like that before. "I told you, Fury. My family comes first. I dedicated this day for my daughter because I don't feel that I am spending enough time with her. You can't pull me away from that." There was a pause. "I don't care if there are strange alien creatures attacking New Mexico. This is my day off. There are what, five other people that could be handling this right now. Also, I don't even really work for you. If you recall, I was considered too volatile and self-obsessed. I am merely a consultant and I want to stay that way. I worked with your little boy band long enough and I even unofficially gave them my tower. I have done enough for you. Let me have this one day with my daughter. Bye." My dad rammed his head against the wall and I dove back onto the couch, trying to look as though I had been there all along.
"I'm not stupid, you know." My dad said as he entered. "I know that you were eavesdropping."
There was no point in even trying to deny it.
"I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for? That is natural curiosity. I would have done the same if it were you."
"Was that someone trying to get you to do something for the Avengers?"
"Yep, and they will succeed eventually. Any minute now, someone will be banging down this door looking for me. What can I say? They can't function without me!" Well, I see where they got self-obsessed from now.
"You can go."
"Lily, today was supposed to be your day. I can't just leave you."
"But Dad, you have to. I understand. Those people need you to protect them. It's not fair if I am hogging you when you could be saving people's lives."
"Are you sure that you are okay with it?"
"Yes. I get it. You are a superhero. You have to save the world. Remember, I agreed to this the day that we met."
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Place your bets. Which one do you think it is?"
"Ummm... Black Widow. She used to work for you, right?"
"Kind of, but you are wrong. It's Cap. Anyone one else wouldn't have the decency to wait outside. They would be in here dragging my sorry butt off this couch by now."
My dad and I walked towards the door. He was right. Captain America was standing on the front deck of my best friend's house in his full suit. It was so surreal. He was just so... muscular. My dad had explained to me the whole mechanics behind the Super Soldier Serum, but wow. It worked much better than I expected.
My dad opened the door.
"What? I help you with one teensy little battle and now I am on the top recruiters list?"
"This is very important, Mr. Stark. The Asgardians were able to repair the bifrost, as you would have known if you would have attended any meetings." My dad rolled his eyes. "These creatures seemed to have been directed towards Earth through there. We do not think that it is Loki's doing, but rather someone else who would like to destroy this planet for the fun of it."
"How did you even get here so fast? I was on the phone with Fury, like two minutes ago!"
"He knew that you wouldn't agree, so he sent me out here to collect you."
"Collect me?" My dad asked. "No, if I am going to New Mexico, which I am not saying that I am, I am flying there myself. Also, I will have to take a pit stop in Malibu to switch suits. The suit case on isn't as strong nor as advanced as the others."
"Stark, I could care less about the technology in your suit. Are you coming with me voluntarily or am I going to have to drag you along?"
"Whatever. I will go. Do you have a car? My suit is at the town park and I have to drop Lily off there."
Captain America seemed to notice me for the first time.
"Yes, Mr. Stark, I can drive you." The captain turned to me. "You must be Lily. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine." I answered, shaking his outstretched hand.
"Well, then" My dad said. "Are we going or not?"
"Okay, okay..." Captain America said.
We all walked together to Cap's car. I decided that day to start calling him Cap, well at least in my own mind that is. Captain America is far too long.
"You're driving one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s cars?" My dad asked as soon as he saw the vehicle.
"There's no point in me getting my own. There is tons of public transport in New York."
My dad grimaced. I guess that public transport and him don't quite mix.
Cap jumped into the driver's seat and my dad joined me into the back. I gave directions to the park because neither of them had any clue where to go. Dad looked like he could have punched Cap in the face when he said that he didn't know how to work the GPS.
Finally, we got to the park. Cap pulled up right beside dad's car. Everyone else was parked a significant distance away. I didn't blame them. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near my dad if someone scratched his baby.
My dad and I got out of the car. Using his better judgement, Cap stayed inside. Showing up at a community picnic in a full out Captain America costume was sure to bring a lot of attention. Pepper ran up to us almost as soon as we got out.
"Lily!" She said, pulling me into an embrace.
"Hi, Pepper." I said into her shoulder.
She let me go and turned to my dad.
"What are you doing back here? And who drove you? Is that a S.H.I.E.L.D. car?" Pepper looked through the windshield. "Is that Steve? Tony..."
"I can't avoid it, Pepper. They need me."
"Tony, this is Lily's day. You promised me that-"
"I told him that is was alright." I cut in.
"Lily... Are you sure?" Pepper asked.
"Yes. I am 100% sure." I turned to my dad and smiled. "Now go save the world."
My dad grinned and popped the trunk of the Audi, pulling out the red and gold suitcase. This was a model up from the one that he wore in Monaco. He dropped it gently on the grass and proceeded in putting it on. That drew the attention of every single person in the park. They all turned to him and began taking pictures. As he always did, my dad embraced it. He finished suiting up, threw up his signature peace sign and flew off into the sky. Cap waved goodbye to me and followed him on the ground.
"Oh, great." Pepper sighed after they left. Everyone was still staring in our direction. It wasn't everyday that Iron Man flew away from a small town to go save the world.
All the girls that decided that they were my new best friends ran up and surrounded me, cutting me off from Pepper.
"Where did your dad go, Lily?"
"Do you know when he will be back?"
"Will you ever get your own suit?"
Through the crowd, I caught Pepper's eye. She gave me a look that was basically asking if she should intervene. I gave my head a little shake. I would have to learn to deal with people like this and what better way to practice than on your former school mates.
When I finally escaped the group of my dad's fangirls (could it really be true that Emma was one of them only a month ago?), I found Pepper and the Johnsons sitting together on Pepper's blanket.
"Hey!" I said as I approached.
"Hi!" Everyone replied at once. I sat down next to Emma and plucked an M&M off of the cupcake that she was eating.
"Hey! Get your own!" She said, caressing the rest of the dessert.
"None left." I replied. I had taken a hopeful glance at the dessert table on the way by.
"Well, that's your problem then! Quit stealing my food!"
We both broke out in laughter. It felt good to laugh after everything that happened that day. It was an emotional rollercoaster and that was only the beginning.
A.N. Have anyone ever heard the song "If I Had A Million Dollars" By The Barenaked Ladies? If not, go listen to it right now. It is brilliant. That is where I got by Kraft Dinner reference from, or, as they call it in the States, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Kraft Dinner is considered a Canadian National dish (according to Wikipedia) and we eat 1.7 million of the 7 million boxes sold each week. Also, I would just like to point out my surprise at the fact that Smarties are not sold in the U.S.A.. How can they not be? I live on those things. They are sort of like M&Ms, but much better. So, in honour of the chocolate that does not melt in your hand, I give you the Smarties song.
"When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last? Do you suck them very slowly, or crunch them very fast? Eat those candy-coated chocolates, but tell me when I ask, when you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last?"