Apologies! I took a massive break from writing (too many stories on the go at once, too much pressure). My son started nursery a couple of weeks ago so a have a good chunk of time in the mornings now to do writing (currently sat in the supermarket cafe 2 mins from the nursery) I hope you enjoy this. There'll be 2 more chapters after this one before it switches to 2015. Phantom QAX - I'm keeping to between 3000 - 4000 word a chapter, no more, no less! This way I can keep a consistency, sorry!

Annabelle couldn't control the tears that continued to stream down her cheeks at his confession. Never, in her wildest dreams, would she have thought he'd say something like that to her. In all honesty, she had expected it to take months, years even, for him to admit that he thought of her in the way a father should. That was, if he was to ever admit it. Tony was staring at her, his eyes willing her to believe everything he had said to be true, because it was. Every word he had spoken since meeting her was one hundred percent true. He wanted, needed, her to understand that, from now on, she would always come first to everyone and everything.

Tony wrapped his arms around her once again, wanting to comfort her in the only way he could at that moment. Annabelle rested her head against his chest, savouring the closeness she was so terrified she'd end up losing. He rubbed soothing circles on her back as she cried it out against him, not even flinching at the fact she was leaving salty tear marks on his expensive suit. He would buy another if it was ruined, he was good for it; comforting his hurting daughter was far more important. It took a few minutes for Annabelle to calm down enough to compose herself. Tony released her and inched back slightly on the bed, but he stayed close enough to be able to hold her hand. She gripped on to him as if her life depended on it.

Annabelle wiped her eyes with the back of her free hand before she looked back up at Tony. He still had the pleading look in his eyes.

"Trust that I'm in this for the long haul, please. I know I've missed out on far too much but there's so much more that I can be a part of, if you let me." He stroked over her knuckles with his thumb, something her mother used to do when someone was upset. Annabelle wondered whether Tony knew this, and the unformed question must have shown on her face because he answered it. "Your mom used to do this with me. Every time I had an argument with my dad, she'd take my hand and do this. I was never great at talking things through – I'm still not – but she would sit with me for hours holding my hand and comforting me until I relaxed."

Annabelle nodded up at Tonys smiling face. It felt nice hearing a story about her mom from years ago. There had never been many people in her life to tell her them. She wanted to hear more but that could wait for another time, another day. They had a lot to discuss before they started sharing stories.

"I think I believe you." Tonys face fell slightly and Annabelle gently squeezed his hand to reassure him. "You've given me no reason not to believe you but it's just a lot to take in. This is new for both of us and I'm still getting my head around the fact that the great Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, is my dad. In person, you seem so different to the guy you see on TV."

Tony grimaced slightly. "I am that guy, but just not as much as I used to be, not since Pep. But, I don't want to be that guy around you, Annabelle. You don't deserve that, you deserve better than it."

"You shouldn't have to change," her voice had lowered to just above a mumble. "Not because I've suddenly come in to your life."

"Hey," he tilted her chin up with his free hand. "I'm glad you did. I just wish it could have been sooner, and under happier circumstances. I'm determined to make this work, and to do that I will make changes and I'll do that for you. I want you to be happy."

She gave him a small smile. "Knowing I'm wanted is all I need to be happy."

Tony could feel his throat slowly start to constrict and pressure begin to build in his nose. He willed away the tears that were threatening to form. Annabelle was so concerned about not be wanted and Tony didn't know why. It broke away at his heart to realise at some point in her life someone hadn't wanted her and he hoped to it wasn't because of him. Could it be? Or had something else happened during her nearly seventeen years on earth? He was determined to find out what, but he wouldn't dig just yet... he would wait to see if she felt comfortable enough with him to volunteer the information, if not... he would just have to find out for himself.

"I'll make you as happy as I can, Annabelle. I'll do everything in my power to. Your mom wanted me to look after you and keep you safe, and I intend to do just that."

She nodded. "She still loved you, you know. She loved my step-dad but it was always you, she said so in the letter she left me." Her hand shot up to immediately wipe away fresh tears and the thought of her mothers letter.

"It's the same for me." He found he could no longer look at her, talking about Gabriella with their daughter was far harder than he could have thought, made even more so by the fact that he never talks about certain things and feelings with anyone, even Pepper.

They settled in to silence again. Tony checked his watch and noticed Happy had been gone for just over half an hour. Noting this, he remembered something about what Annabelle had asked for.

"Happy will be back soon. Blueberries huh?" He smirked slightly, knowing full well she must have gotten her taste for the fruit from him.

"Yeah, mom can't – couldn't -" She straightened herself up on the bed as best she could, avoiding the look of sympathy Tony was now giving her and hoping she wouldn't break down again. "She couldn't stand them. I don't know why, they're delicious."

Tony nodded enthusiastically. "I agree. She always used to favour strawberries. I remember she never use to eat them without cream though."

Annabelle paled slightly at a memory. Tony noticed but didn't bring it up, in case it was something she didn't want to share. She stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking in a small voice.

"She stopped using cream years ago. Alan – my stepdad – was lactose intolerant. We managed for a while, being careful you know, keeping his and our milk and that separate. One night when I was about seven or eight I think, they went out and left me with a babysitter, who made me dinner. When they came back, Alan fixed us all a bowl of strawberries and cream. He obviously used his dairy free stuff – or so he thought. He ended up in hospital that night because, somehow, the babysitter had managed to switch the labels around on the containers and he used the wrong one. He was really ill and in a lot of pain with his stomach. Me and Mom made the decision to not use dairy when we were in the house after that, so it didn't happen again. Late night snacks weren't the same after."

Tony couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Gabriella always did try and put everyone else's needs before hers, and he expected no less from her daughter. He couldn't image having to give up something for someone he loved, but then again, he'd never been in the position to before. Something about the look in Annabelles eyes told him that there was a little more to the ending of that story than she was telling him. She seemed to know that he wanted to hear more, but speaking about that dark period of her life would be just as hard as speaking about the events of a few days ago.

"I must have been eight..." Her voice was still quiet as she started to explain. "Now that I think about it, because I was eight when Alan was diagnosed with cancer, and it was that trip to the emergency room that led doctors to discover it."

"Annabelle," Tony placed his hand over her hand again. Her eyes her once more filling with tears and he didn't want her to go through the wheels of emotion anymore today than she had to. "You don't have to tell me, not today. We have years to talk about everything. Don't feel that you have to tell me this now."

Annabelle nodded. She was relieved, probably more than she actually realised. Talking about losing Alan had always been hard, because she had loved him so much, and his death had not been quick or peaceful. They both turned there heads as they heard the ward doors open and the distinct voice of Happy returning with their breakfast.

Tony shifted uncomfortably but didn't actually move from his position on the bed. Annabelle had pretty much figured out that he wasn't overly fond of people seeing him as anything other than his media persona – Happy included. Though, when Happy pulled back the curtain and took a look at her face, she realised that Tony was only uncomfortable because he knew his friend would round on him.

"I could only get – what the hell did you do now?" Happy placed the boxes of food on the moveable table and took a step towards Tony, who jumped up and raised his hands in surrender.

"Nothing! I don't screw up everything, you know. We were just talking, that's all."

Annabelle watched the exchange between the two closely; it was evident that Tony screwing up something was a regular occurrence. She let out a small, involuntary giggle at the two grown men standing next to her hospital bed. They turned to face her, both pleased to hear a positive sound come from her. Tony grinned while Happy straightened his jacket and smiled lightly at her.

"I know you only wanted something with blueberries but I thought you could do with something a little more filling. So, you both have scrambled eggs, toast and blueberry muffins." He handed them both their separate bags, along with a styrofoam cup of coffee for Tony and a small bottle of fresh orange juice for Annabelle.

"Thanks." Annabelle took her items with a small smile and nibbled on the end of her toast. She glanced up to find both men staring at her again. "What?"

"You eat like a hamster." Tony said through a large mouthful of eggs.

Annabelle scoffed. "Just because I actually like to taste my food, does not mean I resemble a fluffy little creature. Besides, I'm not all that hungry. You, obviously, don't seem to care whether you choke or not. How can you have finished all that already?"

Tony stared down at his empty container and frowned. "I didn't realise I had." He turned to Happy. "Didn't you get yourself anything?

"I ate on the way back. By the way, Pepper called."

Annabelle stopped mid bite. Tony shot her a concerned look, knowing that she was still unsure about his girlfriends reaction. He sat back down on the edge of her bed and gently squeezed her hand. "What did she want?"

Happy turned once again look directly at Annabelle and smiled kindly at her. "To find out if Miss Cooper here is allergic to anything so she knows what to avoid when restocking the kitchen, and to also know what colour she would like her bedroom."

Annabelle gaped at the man before turning to Tony. He was smirking at her. She hadn't fully believed him when he said that Pepper was accepting of his mystery daughter, and it seemed the woman was trying to make every effort to make the young girl feel welcome. Tony nudged her gently with his elbow, prompting her back to the present. She took a minute to finish recovering from the shock and answered Happy in a small voice.

"Oh, um, I'm not allergic to anything."

Happy nodded. "And the colour scheme for your room?"

She gave Tony and embarrassed, sideways look. "There's no need for her to go to the trouble of redecorating just for me." Happy chuckled lightly and Tony rolled his eyes. Annabelle's cheeks went slightly red. "What?"

"Pepper offered to do it. Actually, she told me she was doing it before I left." He took a mouthful of his still too hot coffee, though she noticed he didn't even wince at the heat. "Pep likes redecorating, even if she does complain about having to do it every couple of weeks."

Happy nodded in agreement. "Something you should know about Ms Potts is that, once she has her mind set on something, nothing you can say will stop her. Telling Pepper no is like telling a toddler no... only difference is she doesn't actually scream."

Both men joined together in quiet laughter while Annabelle smiled lightly as she leaned against her pillows. Tony and Pepper were making every effort to accept her and make her feel perfectly welcome. As glad and happy that she wanted to be over the acceptance, the overwhelming sadness that filled her was the more prominent emotion. Her mom would never see her build a relationship with her father. The silence that filled her little curtain partitioned room once again pulled her from her thoughts and she found both of them staring at her.

"Sorry..."

"Is everything okay?" Tony put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as she shook her head against him.

"I was thinking about my mom." She groaned a little as she rearranged her position on the bed.

"If it's too much, I can call Pep and tell her to stop. You can do it in your own time if that will make you more comfortable?"

Annabelle smile gently up at him. "I just wish she was still here, that's all. She should be here watching me get to know you both. I'm fine with Ms Potts decorating if she really wants to."

"I know, I wish I could've seen her again." He paused before smirking. "So what colour would you like your room?"

The three of them talked for the next two hours, with Annabelle growing to increasingly like Happy. Tony spoke to her more freely, telling her stories from his childhood, and how he met Pepper, but there was still an underlying unease. Happy had stepped outside to call Pepper and relay her lack of allergies and preferred colour choice, only to come back and tell Tony that she was paying the decorators three times the normal rate to get it done in time for their return.

One thing they hadn't discussed, and Annabelle had yet to build the courage to bring up, was when they would be visiting the hotel room she had briefly shared with her mother. She knew, for obvious reasons, that she wouldn't be continuing her stay in London by residing in that room. Without it being said, she knew she would be following Tony to his own hotel without until their flight back to the States, whenever that may be. She had to retrieve hers and her mothers belongings from their room. It would need to be the first thing they do once she was discharged – she needed a decent change of clothes. It would be beyond difficult to pack up her moms things, but it was only right that she did it herself... she couldn't let someone else do it.

After a while, Annabelle found herself glancing over at Tony every so often, each time noticing the prominent similarities between them both. Their eyes were the same shape, even down to the little 'pinches' in the corners, and were the identical shade of brown. She got most of her looks from her mother and, as far as she knew, her mothers side of the family. She couldn't remember ever seeing pictures of Tonys parents before, so had no way of knowing if she resembled her paternal grandparents.

Happy excused himself to use the restroom five minutes later, and promised to enquire when the doctor would be round to see her. Tony waited long enough to ensure Happy left the ward before turning to Annabelle.

"There's something you want to ask."

"How did you -?"

Tony smiled. "You've been looking up at me for ages... and your brow pinches together when you're thinking of how to say something. Your moms used to do the same."

It was true, it was something her mom used to do when she was stuck on how to word a question, or work out how to say something as to not make a situation worse. Annabelle had never realised it was something she too did. Her mom had never mentioned it.

"I'm being discharged this afternoon." She cast her gaze downwards.

"I know." He reached over and poured them both a small cup of water from the jug on table in front of them. "You're worried, I understand."

She shook her head, he didn't. "It's not just that. I – I have to go back to the hotel, mine and my moms things are still there."

Realisation dawned on his face. "Right... well, I could always send Happy?"

"No." It was loudest she'd spoken since the accident, but she couldn't help it. Tony sat a little shocked at her outburst but made no move to say anything. He didn't want to make things worse. "Sorry... it's just. I want - need - to pack my moms things. She wouldn't want anyone else going through her stuff. She always packed her own bag, she'd even hate me for doing it for her."

Tony nodded, he understand perfectly well where she was coming from; it was a natural instinct to want to pack her moms things herself. He wouldn't deny her that, not after he'd been denied it himself. The death of his parents had hit Tony hard, hard enough for him to hit the bottle. In the following months, he was in such a drunken stupor that Obadiah Stane took it upon himself to do it, robbing Tony of the chance to keep the things they treasured, (he realised, last year, that he had an ulterior motive in doing so). This was something his daughter had to do herself and in her own time.

"Are you sure you're ready? There's no rush."

Annabelle smiled sadly at him. "I don't think I'll ever be truly ready, but I don't have a choice, it has to be done. Besides, the rooms only booked until the day after my birthday."

"Don't worry about that." Annabelle raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I can arrange for it to be yours for as long as you need it."

Annabelle thought about it. Did she need more time before going back there? Probably, but that didn't mean she was going to ask for it. She'd spent a few days in hospital now and, in that time, decided she wanted to go home, leave London and it's terrible memories behind. The memories would never actually go, but she knew being away from the place where her mother was killed would help her. There was another reason to; she wasn't about to ask Tony to spend a small fortune on paying for a hotel room she wouldn't even use, not after only meeting him for the first time a couple of hours ago. She shook her head to Tony.

"No, thank you, I just want to leave. I need to."

Tony nodded in agreement and they returned to silence. Annabelles eyes started to feel heavy as she leaned back against her pillows. Not sleeping well the night before was finally catching up with her, and where her pillows had been hard and lumpy majority of the night, they were now soft, comfortable and inviting. She closed her eyes against the harsh lights above her and hummed lightly in content as she began to slip in to a slumber/ She faintly heard Tony chuckle to himself as she fell in to a deeper sleep.

"Sleep, Annabelle."