I finally updated!! Thanks to everyone for all the reviews so far :)
Oh, the rating for this chapter went up to "T" for one particular reason.. and on that note I would like to add that I do not condone underage drinking, where I live the legal drinking age is 18. Also, I had to have this chapter in the story, it is essential to the plot. Yay plot!
Alexis carefully descended the stairs, smoothing out hair that had begun to grow out and was now unruly. Jade eyes watched the steps she made, after a couple of close calls on the stairs she had learned to pay attention. She tugged the Iron man shirt she wore down over her jeans, in an attempt to look less like a mischievous child. Though it was in vain.
She sighed and continued down the stairs, she had been living here for just under three weeks now and it still felt strange. Alexis didn't think she'd ever feel that the giant home was hers as well, despite what Mr. Stark insisted. She knew that the adoption was final, she was now the ward of Tony Stark. It had all happened yesterday, but not much else had changed.
She reached the bottom of the steps and paused as she heard a strange voice. Alexis tilted her head as she slowly made her way to the origin of the voices. One was Tony, the other she didn't know but it was strangely familiar. The girl crept up to the entrance of the main room, careful to stay hidden until she knew who was there.
She went pale as she peered around the corner. There, talking with Mr. Stark, was General Edmonds. Tony was looking uncharacteristically serious, he had his arms crossed and was frowning at the man across from him. The military man had a beige folder in his hands which he handed to Tony, a grim look on his face.
He took the folder and opened it, leafing thorough the pages it held. It took a couple of minutes to read though it, once and then again. He shook his head disbelievingly and tossed the folder down on the table in front of him.
"I don't believe it." He said simply. He turned from the man and made his way to the bar, pouring a drink for himself. Straight scotch. He drank it in one gulp and poured another, taking it back to the table with him this time. He didn't bother offering the other man a drink, not that the General would have accepted it.
"It's true, Mr. Stark.. Tony." John Edmonds sighed and shifted slightly. "I know what we did was wrong, but we had the country's best interests in mind when we did it." He paused and waited for the other man to say something. After a moment of silence he spoke again. "We would like to take the girl back, Tony."
"No," Tony took another sip of his drink. He stared past the military man out the window, his expression showing nothing of what he felt. His voice was calm and detached. "I think you've done enough."
"You realize that girl is a soldier of this nation? She's not a child, Tony." The officer straightened his coat. Tony glared at him, finishing his drink and almost slamming it down on the table.
"What I realize is, you're still not telling me the whole story, James." He spat the words at the other man. There was just enough alcohol in him now to stand up to the military general. "So if you're not going to, get out of my house." He leaned forward a tiny bit, as though challenging the other man.
"Fine, I'll give you a few days to reconsider." John got up and walked towards the door. Alexis quickly ducked out of the way and into another doorway before she was spotted. He walked by without noticing her and she let out a sigh of relief. "I will contact you on the third Mr. Stark." He opened the door and walked out without saying anything else.
Tony let out a sigh and sat down. He picked up the folder he had thrown and began to read through it again. He grabbed the glass next to him, realized it was empty, and put it back down. Alexis sighed softly as she realized she had better talk to him now instead of waiting until later. She crept out of her hiding place and cautiously entered the room.
"Hi," she said softly. Tony looked up at the girl, then back down at the folder without saying a thing. "I told you so.." It was the only thing she could think to say. Alexis regretted it as he looked up to stare at her before nodding his head.
"You did," He began to read through the folder again. Alexis wondered what was so interesting about the papers. She sighed and climbed onto the chair opposite of him, wishing to be anywhere else at the moment. She kicked her feet back and forth, nervously waiting for Tony to break the silence.
"Are you mad?" The small girl asked quietly, staring at her feet. She picked at the material on the couch and refused to look up at the man sitting across the table from her.
"No, not at you anyway.." He stood and walked over to the bar, pouring yet another drink. "So you really are eighteen, huh?" It wasn't really a question, more of a musing. Alexis knew it and remained quiet. "I should have listened to Pepper and Rhodey.." The super-hero sank down into the expensive couch, clutching his glass in one hand and the other buried in his hair. He closed his eyes and tried to think a little more clearly about the situation.
Alexis watched the scene unfold, unsure of what to do. The child looked around the room, there was nothing else to provide any sort of distraction. Mr. Stark seemed like he couldn't handle the situation. If a super hero couldn't, she doubted her chances. She pushed herself back, further onto the seat, with her legs. Tears slid down her cheeks without a sound, Alexis quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand.
"I-I'm sorry.." She started, trying to break the silence. He didn't say a word, She wasn't even sure that he heard her. "I didn't want any of this to happen." She was louder this time. She knew Tony had heard her, but he remained silent. "Say something!" The little girl shouted suddenly, standing up on the furniture.
"I'll be in my workshop," Tony finally looked up at the child. "I need some time to think about all of this." He stood and quickly emptied his glass, setting it on the table's surface as he turned away. Alexis stepped down from the seat she stood atop, and hesitantly took a step after Tony. "We'll talk later." He said as he began to walk away.
"No!!" The child yelled, as loud as she possibly could. It echoed through the room, Tony stopped and turned back. He looked at Alexis, surprised at the outburst from the usually quiet girl. "I don't want to talk later! You think I'm a freak, I knew you did.." She trailed off sadly. She glared up at Mr Stark, her bottom lip poking out in a pout that made her look more cute then threatening. "Well, I want to talk now!" She crossed her arms stubbornly.
"No," Tony turned back around, about to leave the room.
"FINE!!" She yelled after him. "I'll just drink all your stupid alcohol then! Since that's what you do when there's a problem! Then you'll have to talk to me!!" Tony didn't stop, he continued his way down to the workshop. Alexis let out a frustrated sob, she let the tears slid down her cheeks. She hated how Tony was hiding behind a glass, he was suppose to be a super-hero but he couldn't even talk to her.
Alexis looked to the cabinet that held all of his alcohol, a look of determination crossed her eyes. She had once had a glass of wine at a family dinner, it had made her light-headed and giggly. But that had been when she was seventeen, she wasn't sure if her plan was the best one. Without thinking anymore about it, lest she lose her brief confidence, she reached out and grabbed the bottle at the front.
She had always thought that her first drink would be one with her friends, in a very different situation. The girl opened the bottle, she brought it to her lips and took a sip of the amber liquid. She almost choked, it was worse then milk that had been left out all day in the sun. The child grimaced and took another sip, hating the way it burned on the way down to her stomach, but continuing to take small sips.
Pepper walked into the house, she had been running around all day setting up appointments for her boss. Tony was going to make a public announcement about his adoption in a couple of days and it was all up to her to prepare for it. She took off her sunglasses and cleared her throat.
"Jarvis, Where are Mr. Stark and Alexis?" She assumed they would be together, as Alexis had a habit of following Tony around wherever he went. Unless he was in the workshop, but that only happened when there was someone else to look after the little girl.
"Mr. Stark is currently in his workshop, and Alexis is in the kitchen, Ms Potts." Jarvis replied politly. "The young Miss Stark has been engaged in highly dangerous activity for the past forty-five minutes, I suggest stopping her immediately."
"Huh?" Pepper immediately strode to the kitchen, wondering why Tony had left the child alone. Especially when Jarvis had no doubt warned him about Alexis. She stepped into the spacious room and stopped as she saw the girl up on the counter top, dumping the contents of a bottle of vodka down the drain. There were a pile of empty bottles around her, one had fallen onto the ground and broken into shards of glass. "Wha-?" Pepper looked to the girl, who seemed oblivious of her. She broke out of the initial shock of the situation and walked toward the child, careful not to step on the glass.
"Alexis Stark, what on earth do you think you're doing!?" Pepper Potts put on her best angry mother look. Her hands on her hips, she waited for the girl to try to explain herself. The child was in a ton of trouble as far as she was concerned, and Tony was going to be in for worse when she saw him.
"Oh heeey.." Alexis turned to Pepper, letting the bottle fall into the sink. "I realissshhed I could 'jus pour it down th'drain," The child grinned up at the woman, who's jaw fell open in surprise. Before she could register what was happening, Alexis found herself lifted off of the counter top and practically dragged by her hand down the stairs to the workshop. Pepper punched in the code for the door and scanned her hand, the door open and she marched in, heading straight for Tony. He sat with his back to the door, his ears covered by headphone. The music could still be heard everywhere in the room. The furious woman ripped them off of his head.
"Tony Stark, what is WRONG with you?!" She screamed at him. He turned around, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. "You let a child get drunk!?" Pepper pulled Alexis forward to stand between her and Tony.
" 'Mmm not druunk," the girl slurred, swaying slightly from the sudden movement. "Well, M'by a liddle.." She grabbed her stomach suddenly with both hands, turning more then a bit green. "My tummy hurts." She whined, as she sat down on the cement floor.
"I-I honestly didn't know she was drinking, Pepper." Tony stood up from the desk, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He looked down at the girl, very obviously angry. "What were you thinking!?" He yelled, Alexis avoided looking up at him.
"Y'were mean," She said as she continued to hold her stomach. "I towwld you I's gonna. But you dn't care. So I did."
"I thought you were smart, I didn't think you'd do something so stupid." The words were familiar to the girl, she let out a small laugh.
"Evvvryone says that, guesss m'not," She picked at the laces in her shoes. Tony got down on a knee and lifted her chin so she had to look at him. Alexis had never seen him so angry, not even at the General when he had come in. She laughed as a thought occurred to her, it only seemed to make Mr. Stark angrier. "Yurr like a dad.." It was the closest to coherent she could get. She had meant that he was acting like a typical father who's teenager had stumbled home drunk. But it had taken the genius a few sips before she had realized that she didn't need to consume the alcohol to get rid of it, and now she was far beyond the state of tipsy. She grinned and leaned forward to rest her head against his chest, hitting something hard.
"You really are drunk, aren't you?" Tony shook his head disbelievingly, his voice full of contempt. Alexis reached out and grabbed the hard object that she had hit with her head, it was stuck in Tony's chest. She pulled on it slightly, trying to figure out what it was.
"Y've suummthin stuck inn youu," She muttered, tilting her head to a side slightly. She grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled up to reveal the arc reactor keeping Tony alive. Her brow furrowed upon seeing it and she frowned. " 'sall glowwy, whut is it?" She frowned deeper, "duss it hurt?"
"It's an arc reactor, and no it doesn't hurt." Tony still looked angry but some of the edge had left his voice. The little girl sighed and rested her head against his chest again, to the side of the arc reactor this time.
"I feel sick.." She said softly.
"I think we should take her to the hospital, Tony." Pepper spoke up, after watching Tony with the child. "She may have to have her stomach pumped." She now sounded more concerned then angry. She had decided that she could wait to give Tony the lecture that they both knew was going to happen.
"Yeah.." Tony lifted the girl off of the floor and held her as he stood up. "Jarvis, call the emergency room and warn them of our arrival."
"Yes, Sir." The computer replied promptly. "Might I add that I tried to warn you of the young Miss Stark's actions for the past forty five minutes."
"Thank you, Jarvis," Tony sighed. Pepper glared at him, barely containing herself from yelling at her boss for his irresponsible behaviour. Tony looked over at her, he shifted the child in his arms so he could carry her more easily. "I had headphones on the whole time, Pepper. I didn't hear a thing." He quickly stepped over to one of the cars parked in the huge workshop, which doubled as a garage. "We're going to have to talk after all of this," he said as he set the little girl in the back seat of the Audi R8, the closest car to him, and buckled the seat-belt.
"I agree," was all Pepper said, she walked to the driver's door and held out her hand to Tony. "I know you've been drinking." Tony pulled a set of keys from his pocket and dropped them in the hand without a word. He climbed into the passenger seat as Pepper started the car and pulled out of the workshop. She exited the building and started down the winding road to town, a trip she had made a few times with Tony in the passenger seat. Thanks to Iron Man's exploits.
"Wuts a arc reekter?" The girl in the back broke the silence that they had been driving in until now. Tony raised his eyebrows, he had thought Alexis had fallen asleep.
"It generates the power to run a magnet in my chest, keeping shrapnel from reaching my heart." Tony explained, not having to worry whether the girl would understand what he was saying. He wondered how he would explain it to Pepper after they had got Alexis to the hospital. For the first time ever really, Tony regretted his drinking. He had before, on the mornings after a really late party, but not like he did at the moment. He looked back at the girl in the back seat, she seemed so small and helpless. He didn't think she'd actually drink any of the alcohol.
"You're going to be in a lot of trouble tomorrow," He said to the child. The little girl shifted her gaze down to her shoes, without making a noise. He tried to ignore the glare that came from Pepper, he knew he was in trouble as well. Tony didn't think he'd ever look at a bottle the same way.
"The press is going to love this.." Pepper muttered to herself as she shoulder checked before making a lane change. She tried to keep her mind on things that she could solve, like issues with the media. He hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, as she focused on the road ahead of her. She had a feeling that the little girl would be fine, she didn't seem to be in dire need of a trip to the hospital. But that still didn't stop Pepper's anxiety.
"They don't have to find out, they don't every time I'm in the hospital." Tony continued to check back on Alexis, making sure she was still all right.
"Ohh they'll find out about this, they always do with the big stuff." Pepper turned left and brought the car to a stop in the hospital parking lot. "But we might be able to convince them it was something else.. a high fever maybe.." She trailed off as she brainstormed reasons to take a child to the emergency room, one that didn't have any long term effects; Such as a cast or a long stay.
"We'll think of something," Tony got out and opened the back door. He lifted the girl up into his arms, she rested her head on his shoulder wearily.
"I'm sorry.." Her voice was muffled against his T-shirt. She held onto his sleeve with one fist, her other arm was draped over his other shoulder. Tony sighed and smoothed down the child's unruly hair, a gesture he remembered from his own childhood.
"I am too," he said quietly, hoping Pepper didn't hear him. He looked up and saw her briefly smile endearingly at him, he knew that she had heard. They walked briskly to the sliding doors of the hospital, the waiting room was nearly empty. Just a few people sat around. Both looked like the perfect example of terrified parents, in very different ways.
"We have a child that needs to see a doctor right away," Tony looked to Pepper, who was already taking charge of the situation. The man at the front desk glanced over to the nearly unconscious child in his arms. He picked up a stack of forms and handed them to Ms. Potts.
"What are the symptoms?" He asked, grabbing another form for himself.
"She got into the liquor cabinet, we aren't sure how much she drank before we stopped her." Pepper tried to sound as professional as she could, but couldn't keep the hint of panic out of her voice. The man nodded and quickly summoned nurses and doctors to the scene.
Alexis found herself being hurried down a hall on a stretcher, something she might have enjoyed if she hadn't felt so sick. Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts were both on either side of the moving bed, her plan wasn't suppose to end up with a trip to the emergency room. She noticed the looks of concern she was getting from both of them and couldn't help but feel even more guilty. There was one doctor who kept talking and she finally realized that it was to her.
"Huh?" She let her head tilt back to look at him, her mouth hanging open.
"Alexis, can you tell us how much you drank out of the bottle?" The doctor asked, for the third time. He spoke loudly and slowly, checking the child's pulse as he did.
"Ummmm, like disss much," she raised both hands and spread them about two inches apart. She continued to stare at her hands as the doctor said something else. She vaguely noticed that they had come to a stop in a room, she looked around and saw a nurse approaching her with an IV. "Noooo! No no no no no no!" The little girl squirmed and tried to get off of the bed, she couldn't stand needles.
"Hey, shh.. It's ok," Tony reached out and pulled Alexis into a hug, effectively stopping her from squirming. She whimpered, letting the nurse do her job. Pepper reached out and let her fingers brush through the mess of black hair atop the child's head. Alexis clung to Tony and somehow fell asleep.
PS: I still really need a title!! Please help, I am not good at naming stories