This is an updated version of Through the Years, that I originally put out! I wrote that chapter in a terrible head space and really didn't even edit it. So hopefully this version is a little more refined. Thanks for reading!

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Tony quickly realized he was not equipped to deal with everything on his own. Obadiah may have been helping with the company, but Tony still had a lot he was in charge of, and he needed help with Elena.

The first thing he need was an assistant who could help him remember what day it was. That is when he first came in contact with Pepper Potts. At first, Tony assumed she was just another fan seeking to be the assistant of one recently single multi-billionaire. However, he was quickly proven how wrong he was.

"And what do you think qualifies you for this job Ms. Potts, your charming personality or your charming looks." He said with a smug smile.

Pepper looked at Mr. Stark in an unamused manner. "Neither Mr. Stark. What makes me qualified for this position is the fact that I get things done. I'm organized, smart and resourceful. I will make sure you never miss a meeting and that you're never handed anything." A smug smile now gracing her face.

"You've done your research." He was impressed by her observation skills, that was a quirk only a few people picked up on.

"Like I said I'm good at what I do. Look if you're only hiring a personal assistant because you want something to look at during the day then I'm obviously in the wrong place." As she went to gather her things to leave, Obadiah came in with a baby carrier and a screaming baby attached to it.

"Tony your kid is giving me a migraine." Stane groaned roughly putting the carrier down in Tony's desk

"She is supposed to be with the nanny," Tony said unamused as he started to rock her carrier.

Obadiah turns to Tony with a disgruntled look on his face. "Well she's been screaming for over an hour in the conference room I could hear it my office. The nanny wasn't doing anything to shut her up, so I told her she was fired." Obadiah smirked at the young man as if telling Tony, he had been right about something.

Flabbergasted Tony stood up, "You can't just fire my nanny! I've got 20 other things to do today, and I can't just leave Squirt all by herself. Come on Obie!"

"Well she's a distraction at work and she shouldn't have been here in the first place. The whole point of a nanny is so they can look after your children at home." Stane's tone very much showcased how displeased he was that Tony had brought Elena to the office.

The two of them began to shout at each other. Each man trying to outdo the other in volume, as they both tried to shout over Elena's crying. As they continued to go at each other, neither of them noticed Pepper Potts moving closer to the baby carrier. She looked into the carrier to see the poor tiny baby girl was red in the face and look absolutely terrified.

Pepper reached into the carrier, gently picked up the baby and began to rock her soothingly. Gently caressing her head, Pepper started to calm the wailing infant. Elena began to slowly calm down, she latched her tiny hands onto Pepper's blouse comforted by the new presence holding her. Slowly her eyes began to close as she drifted off to sleep.

Pepper was so consumed with Elena that she didn't realize the two men had stopped fighting and were looking at her in awe. Well, Tony more so than Obadiah. "That's amazing, she usually doesn't calm down for anyone but me." Tony was in awe at how quickly she seemed to trust the woman in front of him.

"She just needed some personal contact is all," Pepper said swaying back and forth with the now sleeping babe.

"She is used to laying on my chest before naps, I guess she wasn't too thrilled that I missed today. It's the first day I've been fully back since she's been born," Tony explained.

Obadiah huffed at that statement, obviously not too pleased with that fact. He clapped Tony on the back rather harshly, "Well now that, that's taken care of Tony. Hire this nice lady, so you and I can get back to work. We need your new designs by the end of the week." His voice tapering off as he stormed out of the office.

"Obie can be a bit of a ball-buster, and I don't think he's too fond of babies. Probably because he never was one." Tony chuckled as he walked over to Pepper to take Elena from her.

"Oh, I almost forgot Ms. Potts this is Squirt, Squirt this is Ms. Potts. I think she's going to be daddy's new secretary." He looked at Pepper with a question in his eyes.

She looked at him skeptically for a second and then her face softened as it landed on the baby in his arms. "We'll see how it goes for a trial period. But one lewd comment Mr. Stark and I'm out, understand?"

"Deal!" Tony moved one arm away from his daughter so he could shake Pepper Potts' hand.

Pepper started to pack up her stuff and as she was getting ready to leave, she turned back to the father and his daughter and a certain question at the tip of her tongue. "Mr. Stark?"

"Tony please, I hear Mr. Stark and I want to run away thinking my dad is behind me." He cringes to himself at the lame joke. He figured all the sleep deprivation was really getting to him.

"Tony, her name isn't really Squirt is it? Because that would just be cruel of you." She admonished the man.

Tony laughed and looked down at his daughter, "Her name's Elena. Squirt is just a nick-name I love to use." He smiled to himself as if remembering an inside joke.

"No wonder. I will see you and Elena tomorrow Mr. Stark." She nodded her head at him.

"Tony." He corrected.

She smiled back at him from the door. "I will see you tomorrow, Tony."

Thus, started the Pepper, Tony, Rhodey, and Elena dynamic. They became a small dysfunctional make-shift family. Pepper help Tony take care of Elena, in any way she could. She would try to schedule meetings around Elena's nap time knowing the girl could rarely fall asleep without her father at least present in the room.

As Elena grew into a toddler, Pepper made sure the young girl never saw Tony when he had been drinking and did her best to restrict any news about his nightly activities. She would protect Elena's image of Tony at all costs. At times though, Tony did not make that task easy.

Tony looked to Pepper as a kind of crutch for him and Elena. If he didn't have an answer, he called Pepper. If he thought Elena was getting sick, he called Pepper. Gift ideas, all Pepper. He knew without his assistant he might never have done right by his daughter. Pepper knew in her heart that Elena loved her like an aunt, but there were some things that only Tony could fill.

An example was the time when at the age of 4, Elena came down with a terrible case of bronchitis while Tony was on a month-long business trip to Japan. The girl was inconsolable, claiming that the only thing that would make her feel better was her father. When she needed to be admitted to the hospital for a breathing treatment due to weak lungs, she refused to cooperate until her father was by her side.

Pepper defended Tony's parenting abilities with everything she had, knowing no one would love that girl as much as Tony did. She even went to court for him when April's grandparents contested custody of Elena. Claiming that with all of Tony's partying and drinking he was in no way a fit parent for Elena. Those two had an unbreakable bond and god help the person that tried to come in between them.

Rhodey part in the family was being the fun-loving uncle that was called to babysit whenever Tony was hungover or out on a bender. He took Elena out for ice cream and even promised her that one day he would teach her how to fly.

Elena's childhood years were both the best and the worst time for Tony. He loved daughter, and at times she was the only thing that kept him going. However, doing all of it without April was soul-crushing, and the only thing he could do to numb the pain was to get so fucking drunk he didn't remember his name.

Elena loved her father for his flaws and his strengths. He was her best friend and her hero. He taught her everything he knew from car mechanics to engineering, and in typical Stark fashion, she took to it like a fish to water. Tony was amazed by how much she absorbed. Unlike Howard Stark, Tony was there to witness every break-through Elena had. He was there for all of the important moments.

Even though Elena took quickly to mechanics and engineering, her passion for healing is what truly amazed Tony. She possessed her mother's love off all things medical. While Tony tried to keep Elena a child as long as he could, unlike his father, he could not deny how to advance she was in her education.

School was something Tony wasn't sure how to handle when it came to Elena. Did he let her be a kid and keep her with her age group or let her engage in lessons that were well above her age? However, Elena quelled any of his fears when she comprised with him. She would be allowed to take advanced courses so long as she still engaged in one activity with children her age. She chose ballet and gymnastics. By the age of 13, she had already surpassed her high school curriculum and was onto college material. By the time she turned 18, she was already finished with Medical School and looking to fulfill her residency program.

As Elena grew, Tony would find himself thinking he was looking at April in miniature form. Not only did his daughter have his girlfriend's looks and personality, but she also had her compassion. Which was attested to by all the rescue animals that had passed through his house over the years.

Elena grew to have a soft spot for those less fortunate than her. Tony found her hate for his company's weapon department both endearing and frustrating at the same time. He knew she desired to one day run a department through Stark Technologies that created innovative and life-saving equipment. Tony admired her passion yet; he knew in his heart that Stark Tech could never survive on medical supplies alone. Plus, his weapons kept their country safe, kept Elena safe, and that was all that mattered to him.

Her safety was why Tony had hired Happy Hogan. Although he had claimed it was for his benefit, it was really to make sure Elena had extra protection at all times.

Tony's and Elena's bond went beyond blood, went beyond the regular father-daughter bond. Something in the tragedy of April's death helped them to create a bond so iron tight the Tony firmly believed nothing could break it. As long as he had his daughter all would be well.