A/N: Sorry for the delay. Got caught up with a lot of things. My friend changed college, she was my sort of beta.

Chapter 3

"Kichu" she ran and hugged the boy. Tony saw that the boy was tall, lanky, dark haired with coal black eyes around six feet tall. He had a tanned athletic look.

"How did you find us?"

"Amma went to your house, it was locked. She felt something was wrong. Your neighbor told her he saw a man carry your mom to the car and you followed into it. I was searching for you guys in every other block. That was when I ran into Dr. Nair. He told me that you were here. Ri, what happened?"

"She is dying. She didn't even say a word even when she told me about him."

"Is he here?"

"Yes. He was the one who brought her here."

Tony came up to the pair. He cleared his throat to announce his presence. They broke apart from the hug.

"Mr. Stark, I am Krishna Iyer. I am Ri's teacher's son, also Ri's classmate. Thank you so much for bringing them here." The tone of the boy's voice said to Tony something else. It was more like "Mr. Stark thank you. You are no longer required here. You may leave."

Tony saw Rhea tug the boy's shirt. And then she turned to him. "Can you give us a minute?" Tony returned to the waiting room outside the ICU.

Rhea dragged Kichu out of the hospital block to the garden.

"What was that in there?"

"What?"

"Don't act innocent Kichu; whatever you told him had a double meaning".

"What double meaning?"

"Shut it. You know very well what I am talking about."

"He was never there for you. Let him be gone. I am good enough to look after you. You don't need that spineless duffer."

"That man is my father. Show some respect and for the record, he didn't know I existed."

"He could have searched for your mom. Did he even try? Look, you don't need him. That's it." Rhea could feel Kichu's hatred for her dad in his words. She couldn't blame him. He, his family was the only people who were there for her Ma and herself even when people sneered at them. When Kichu found out who her father was he started to hate her father. He had repeated the same words then too.

"Oh Mr. Iyer, I didn't know you were the one to take decisions in my life. Ma trusts me with him."

"Enough Ri, ask him to leave." His nose was flaring with anger.

"No," Rhea said stubbornly

"Yes, you have to."

"Told you he is my father and he stays. That's final."

"Then don't come back to me."

"Why should I come back to you? Look, I have my family"

"I thought we were family."

"Yes, we are, but if you are trying to pull my father out of it, then no."

Tony was watching the two argue through the waiting room window. He could see the anger in her brown eyes that shone just like her mother's. Just then the two saw him watching them. They turned to return.

"Mr. Stark", he heard the doctor.

"We are sorry, we couldn't save her".

Tony felt his world didn't know what to do. Just then he got her back only for her to go away forever.

"Noooooooooooo"

He heard her scream. He saw the boy wrap his hand around her waist and pull her close to him and steady her.

Rhea felt everything around her fading and she blacked out.

Rhea was watching the fire consume her mom's body.

It's been a month since Rhea moved to the Malibu mansion. At first, she shut herself in her room standing on the balcony staring at the sea.

One morning she came out of the room. Tony was having his breakfast.

"I would like to visit the temple in Calabasas."

"Why?"

"I just want to clear my mind. Visiting temple always helped me. Please."

"Ok, I will tell Happy take you there."

"Ask him to come pick me at 5 in the evening. that's when there is a puja."

"Ok. Rhea, you really need to talk to someone, kid. I don't think your mother would have wanted you to be like this."

All Tony got in response was a "Mmm."

Rhea returned around 7 o'clock in the evening. Tony was surprised to see her clutching an idol and four men following her lifting a wooden altar and Happy carrying a large bag. He smiled at Tony.

"Ri, kiddo what is this?"

This is an idol of Krishna. And that is an altar where I am going to keep it.

She then turned to the men. "Gentlemen, this way please".

She led them to her room and placed it between the door to the balcony and her TV.

A/N: As I told I was planning to skip directly to Avengers. I was planning to post one shots on Ironman and Rhea's interactions with Steve. I am open to suggestions.