Mim was very excited; she and her Dad were going shopping to buy her things. Her! In her lily jeans and her pink check top. She heard a knock on the door. She rushed to the front door.
"I've got it!" she said before Remus could stand up. He chuckled, pretending to read the paper.
"Why don't we look pretty," Tony said, when she opened the door. She grinned and gave a little twirl.
"Our limo awaits," he said gesturing for her to take his hand.
Just as they left the door. Kathleen walked up the stairs towards her flat, her hand full of envelopes.
"Hello Mim," she said smiling at her, she looked up at the man who was holding her hand then back to the four year old.
"Is this your Daddy, Mim?" she asked.
"Yep, we're going shopping." She said shyly.
"Oh what are you going to buy?"
"I dunno, the only person who everded bought stuff for me is Uncle Remus." She said looking at her feet.
"Well, you have a good time and I shall have some biscuits all ready when you get back." she smiled heading back through her door.
"Thank you, Kathleen," she said shyly. Kathleen smiled at the new father.
"You're welcome for biscuits and a chat too." she smiled.
"I would be honoured." He smiled.
"Well I will let you two get on with the rest of your day." She said waving as she shuffled back towards her flat door.
The billionaire decided he wouldn't be happy unless half of the plane was covered in new things for Mim, deciding to get toys first he got Happy to take them to the closest mall. He put on a hat, and praying that he wouldn't be spotted today. As it was a weekday he was confident that he wouldn't find many people in children's areas. He took his daughters hand and began to walk towards the building.
When they got out of the limo, he walked around to let out his daughter, taking her hand to walk into the Toys R Us on the other side of the carpark.
"Hold my hand on the road," he told her, she nodded at him.
Happy walked over to the trolleys and began to wheel one inside behind the two brunettes.
"Pick anything you want, anything in this shop that you want, ok?"
She nodded.
They began to make their way down the aisles, Tony watched his daughter intently to see if anything sparked her interest.
It wasn't till they went down the fourth aisle did she stop and began to look at two items.
"You like those huh?" he said. Looking at the large headed dolls. She nodded, looking between the two. He watched as she frowned looking at both in turn.
"What's up, Munchkin?"
"I don't know which one I want."
"What do you mean?"
"You said anything in the shop, I am picking which one."
Tony chuckled, though a part of him knew why she interpreted his words that way. He gently took both of them and put them in his cart. She went to protest.
"Mim," he said, crouching down to her level. "When I said you can have anything you want. I mean you could have half the shop if you wanted, not just one toy. Come on let's go look at the lego sets. We can make them together."
"What's lego?" she asked, he took her little hand in his and walked over to the lego aisle.
"Lego is little bricks that build things," he explained pointing to the Star Wars ship they had one display.
"Wow," she said.
He picked up every landmark one he could find.
"We will pick a few more, then we will go to the puzzle section." He said, he gestured to the right side.
"Go on, pick anything you want." He encouraged, the little brunette shyly got closer to the lego and picked another three sets."
Two hours later they had successfully filled three trolleys worth of toys, lego and puzzles and had left the store.
Tony helped Happy put the stuff into the car.
"Take it back, we'll be in one of these stores," Tony gestured to the clothing stores. Happy nodded shutting the boot and taking off.
"Happy will be back in a bit, let's get you some new clothes." Tony smiled, offering the little girl his hand. She took it.
"I would like you to always hold my hands on the roads, ok Munchkin?" he told her, she nodded. Hand in hand they crossed the large carpark to them clothing stores, keeping his hat firmly on his head. Tony guided the little girl to the children's section.
"Same rules here all right. Pick whatever you want, and you can go try it on."
"Ok," she said quietly her eyes roaming the selection of clothes.
If he noticed that she paused on something for a little while, he would pick it up in several sizes for her to try on, picking up things he thought were adorable as well.
"I like that one," she pointed to a green science shirt on the other section of the store.
"Then let's go get that one and try it on," he said, manoeuvring past the racks to ger the T-Rex in a lab coat with test tubes.
Eventually Happy re-joined the duo, and they collected and armful of clothes up to Happy's head and the billionaire had ten items in each of his arms.
"Would you like some help, or do you want us to wait here and you can show us,"
"Um, can you wait here?" the little girl said nervously.
"Of course, we are right out here, just come out when you are ready."
The men waiting for a few minutes before the little girl came out nervously. She was wearing a emerald green jumper Tony had found and a dungaree dress. Tony did a chef kiss and kept him hand in the shape as he spoke.
"Such beautiful styling here on the Paris runway today. What an ingenious pairing."
He was rewarded when she began to giggle into her hand.
"Twirl for us, go on. Show us the full look." He said, she did as she was told. "Genius, Happy you seeing this?" he turned to his friend.
"I see it, models everywhere need to watch out." He said.
"You like it?" Tony asked her. She nodded. He clapped his hands together.
"Shall we make a yes pile over here?" Happy said gesturing beside him, Mim nodded and went back into the stall to try the next thing.
The men watched in joy as the little girl got more and more confident. After a few outfits she began to do a little cat walk for them. There were a few coaxing moments where Tony would tell she didn't like something, making sure she knew that if she didn't have to like something, if someone else picked it. That wouldn't be mad if she didn't want it. Mim went back into the changing room, Tony leaned so his lips were by his friends ear.
"Can you get the ones she likes so far and get them in some of the bigger sizes. Now that she is in our care and she'll eat properly she'll probably grow a lot. That's how kids work right?"
Happy ignored his friends last comment, but check the size she had been wearing. Tony gave him a wad of cash and he went to grab various sizes. When Mim came out she looked confused as she noticed Happy had gone.
"He'll be back. That top looks awesome, you were right. Dinosaurs' doing science is pretty cool."
She grinned, looking down at the top.
"I think he looks really smart."
"Of course he does, he is wearing a lab coat and glasses. They make you smart." He said matter-of-factly. "Yes pile?"
She nodded, going back into the changing room.
Another half an hour went by, Mim had tried everything on and they had decided what they were going to buy. Arms full they made their way over to the counter to pay.
The woman smiled at them, then saw the amount of clothes they had.
"Wow, someone is very lucky," she said to Mim, who looked back at her smiling nervously. The lady began to scan the mass of clothes.
"You want the hangers?"
"We're fine," Tony said. She began to fold placing them in bags.
"Oh that ones a boys shirt," she said as she picked up the science dino shirt.
"It's a shirt with a science loving dinosaur, she likes it."
The women looked a little irritated but did as the billionaire asked.
Tony paid and they walked out of the shop with their arms full.
"Wanna grab a bite to eat? All that modelling must have made you pretty hungry."
She nodded, taking his hand, as they walked towards the car...
After grabbing a bite to eat, Tony noticed a photo booth. He looked down at his daughter, she probably didn't have a passport.
"Mim honey, why don't we get some pictures taken," he said taking the four-year old's hand.
"Ok,"
"We'll get some funs ones, then some serious ones so that you can fly around the world."
Her eyes widened.
"You mean go on holiday?" she gasped.
"Yep," he said gently nudging her into the booth. "You want to do those ones first or silly ones?"
"I don't mind." She said nervously.
"Let's do the silly ones first," he said smiling, he walked into the booth and grabbed his daughter's torso. "Come on Munchkin," he said as he lifted her then sat down. "Now what silly shall we do first?" he asked her. "Shall we stick our tongues out like this?" he stuck out his tongue and squinted his eyes shut. "Or more of a crazy hand, wide eyed look like this," he placed his thumb on his forehead and stretched out his face, his fingers sprayed out. She laughed at him.
"How about this?" she said timidly, then proceeded to puff out her cheeks like a hamster and cross her eyes.
"Perfect," he copied, the pushed the button.
They did five rounds of silly pictures before Tony altered the seat and Mim got some passport pictures. Checking the time, he thought it might be a good idea to head back to Remus' house, start getting her ready for bed, so he could start filling out paper work.
"Right kid, I think it is time we get back to Remus', don't yah think?"
She nodded a little, shyly taking her fathers hand as they made their way back to the car.
After she was read to and tucked up in bed, Happy went to give more information to the people close back in America. While Tony and Remus began to pour some of the whiskey that Tony had bought today.
"I have some pictures of her when she was small," Remus said after a small lull in conversation, he pushed himself off the sofa to go and get the photo albums.
The two flicked through the album, there were pictures of the little girl, right up to Halloween itself. There were pictures of Lily and James' too.
The broomstick and James running after her.
"He would have looked after her," Tony said.
"He died for her,"
"And for that I am forever grateful to him." he looked over to his daughter on the couch, sleeping. "And to you too, Remus. Without you I would have never of known of her existence,"
"I was being selfish, I knew you'd let me see her."
Tony frowned at him.
"Well," he took a big swig of whisky. "That was cryptic. Care to explain?"
Remus signed, rubbing his face, then finishing his own glass.
"I would never harm her, or put her in danger Tony, I swear."
"See, here. Right here." He pointed to the ground. "Is normally where you stop being cryptic and just tell me."
"I'm a werewolf," Remus said quietly watching the man beside him carefully. "I was bitten as a child, not much older than Mim… My father had offended… anyway. I am only dangerous on a full moon, and I would never have her anywhere near me during that time. It's one of the reasons I live in the Muggle world. Wizard will not hire me – Tony I swear –"
"Remus, relax all right. I got it. Avoid your monthly outbursts. Of course, I am still going to let you see her. From the way you have been around me and her, I would never think that you would do anything to harm her. If you say that you are safe to be around most of the time, then I believe you."
Remus's eyes began to fill with tears, Tony sensed this and poured them both more whisky.
"Don't worry, we will make a great little pack for her – or is that offensive?"
Remus gave a small chuckle and shook his head.
"Thank you, Tony," he said. Tony smiled clicking their glasses together.
"Cheers," he said drinking the amber liquid.
"Cheers," Remus drank too.
Over the next few days, the adults decided it would be best to hyphen Mim's surname and go by Stark in the Muggle world and Potter in the wizarding. Alongside beginning the paperwork for duel-citizenship between the UK and the United States. They also discussed when would be a good time to take the small girl to a doctor. They knew she was underweight, however she appeared to be fine within herself, and with her new life she would soon gain the weight. Yet… she would still need an overall check-up. They didn't want to frighten her so they decided to watch her for now. Remus told Tony about a nutritional potion and the man had immediately given him the money to get several batches. The billionaire also gave Remus money to set up an account in his name within the wizarding world. To which the werewolf had almost chocked when he saw the amount in the suitcase. After the main legalities were taken care of and Remus himself was in the process of getting a passport, and visa in order to stay with the family. Tony decided it was time to take the young girl home.
Woof what a week this has been. As of writing the end of this comment here I am going to hope that with only needing one more State that the mouldy orange is out, and hopefully soon in prison for at least some of his crimes. To everyone in the US, I hope you and your loved ones are safe, and know that most of the world is with you and watching in horror.
Anyway!
I am so excited I have been writing this story on and off for so long, I think I actually started it in 2016... I think… Before Infinity War that's for sure. Hope you enjoyed xx
