Author's Note: I know this chapter is short and I'm sorry. It's acting as a bridge between the storylines of Iron Man and Iron Man 2.
This chapter title comes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
I give you the seventh installment of But Iron, Cold Iron.
Chapter Seven - Merry Christmas (what right have you to be merry?)
"How are your lessons with Rhodey going?" Tony asked, guiding her to the garage with a hand on her shoulder.
She yawned widely and rubbed her eyes. "Good," she mumbled. "He says that it helps that I'm already in shape." She stumbled a little over her own two feet and he caught her elbow. "Where are we going? Are you gonna tell me?"
"It's a surprise. Let's call it an early Christmas present."
Danielle fumbled with the handle for a moment before managing to get her car door open. Then she slumped into the seat. Rolling his eyes, Tony reached across her to grab the seatbelt. He drew it across her and buckled it. "Alright, sleepyhead, let's go."
Danielle let the hum of the engine lull her back to sleep, face pressed up against the glass. She yawned, eyes closed. "Ugh, it's too early," she whined.
Tony chuckled. "I can't wait until you're fully healed up and you go back to being an early bird. You calling seven AM too early is just scary."
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see. He told me your aim is pretty good."
She sighed and then sat up properly, watching the buildings as they passed. "Yeah. Good enough for the Iron Man suit?" She turned her hopeful gaze to him.
"Nice try, Dani. No. You're gonna have to be a little older for that."
"How old?" she asked watching as they turned another street. "Fifteen? Sixteen?"
"Let's say forty." He slowed down and pulled into a parking lot.
"Forty? That's— Why are we at a rescue shelter?"
He stopped the car and glanced towards her. "Well, I figured that with your training with Rhodey and that since you're getting older, I don't need anyone to babysit you. Besides JARVIS, that is. But I don't want you to be lonely when I'm gone."
She stared out at the building. "Really?"
"Really."
Danielle thought for a moment and then grinned. She scrambled out of the car and was in the front door before Tony had even turned off the engine. She stopped at the front desk with a grin. "Hi! I'm here to adopt."
The woman looked up and smiled. "Oh? Do you have a parent with you?"
"Yeah. He's coming. He's just slow." She looked back in time to see the door open.
Tony took his glasses of and offered the receptionist a smile. "Sorry. She tends to run ahead of me sometimes."
The woman stared, jaw loosening as she recognized him. Then she cleared her throat and straightened. "Of course! We have lots of excellent options! Do you have a particular kind of animal in mind, little one?" she asked, smiling down at Danielle.
Danielle wrinkled her nose and shrugged. "Dunno. I should probably take a look."
"Alright, then. Right this way." She turned and led them through the back door into a corridor lined by large, glass-walled cages and rooms. "This sweet girl came to us just a couple days ago," she said, stopping in front of one door. "Her name is Daisy. She's truly a good option for a family—"
"What about this one?"
The woman followed where Danielle had gone to find her stopped in front of a cage, watching the angry black cat pacing inside. The woman hesitated. "I'm not sure he's a good option. He's a bit . . . wild. We've had him for well over a month now and he's shown that he doesn't really like people. He was found hurt on the side of the road and brought to us."
"How old is he?" Danielle asked curiously, studying the cat's ripped ear.
"Estimated about two years, maybe three."
Danielle nodded and looked towards her dad. "I want this one."
"Are you sure?" the woman asked. "We have plenty of other—"
"This one," she repeated stubbornly. She leaned forward, pressing a hand against the glass. "I want this one."
"Up already?"
Danielle glanced back and grinned. "Morning, Dad! Bacon and I decided to get an early start."
Tony stopped, ruffling his hair and blinking at her. "Bacon?"
"Yep!" She glanced down and nudged the scarred cat curled up at her feet. Then she continued plating the scrambled eggs. "That's his name. I, uh, originally was gonna have bacon with breakfast but it turns out that he really, really likes it."
"You're telling me that this cat ate all my bacon?" Tony asked, crouching down and staring at him. Bacon stared right back, tail flicking. "Not a great start, kitty cat. Nobody eats my food."
"Hey, he's new, give him some slack."
Tony rolled his eyes and got to his feet. "Fine. But only because it's Christmas." He dragged Danielle into a hug. "Merry Christmas, kiddo."
She grinned, hugging him back and stepping awkwardly around Bacon. "Merry Christmas, Daddy."
Blood Toxicity: 3.78%
Tony stared at it, hands shaking. This was real. This was very, very real in the way that it made his heart try to collapse in on itself and his lung constricted with a need for air.
He was dying.
"Dad?" Danielle knocked loudly on the door again. "I thought you said we were going to a movie!"
He jerked back, dropping the machine. It bounced harmlessly on the bed. "Uh, yeah, honey!" he called, praying to whoever was out there that his voice wouldn't break. "Sorry! I got distracted!"
"By what? Your reflection?" Then she broke off in giggles, laughing at her own joke. "C'mon! I'm gonna wait in the car!"
"Okay!" He listened as she walked away and stared down at the blood welling up at the end of his finger.
This couldn't be happening.
He couldn't be leaving her alone.