APRIL 1st

Today Dad and I had a foam dart fight. It started when he asked Jarvis for a report and Jarvis reported that I had done all the homework for the next week. Dad says he's going to have to install a lock so I don't finish ahead of time. But the foam dart fight was the best! We chased each other throughout the house for like three hours, it ended when we had to go to the hospital because we almost blinded Happy but it was awesome. While we were waiting I asked Dad if he was ever going to get married. He asked if it was because when I was little, I apparently asked for a little brother or sister every chance I got. I told him I was more mature than that and I just wanted him to be happy.

He got quiet again.

APRIL 15th

Busy busy busy! I've been helping Dad with everything, getting ready for the Stark Expo. Dad's very insistent on everything being perfect, beyond perfect. He says "I want the f-in Oscars to view this as a new level' (he didn't say f-in but you know what he means) Pepper and I have beyond stressed, Pepper probably more than me, mainly because she's been running the company as well as helping plan the Stark Expo. My job initially was to follow Dad around, but for the last few days, he's been hidden deep into his lab, doing tests for something. I'm worried, is he sick? I keep telling him that if he's sick he should go see a doctor but he keeps telling me, 'this isn't Doctor's can't fix.' Is he referring to his PTSD, I mean, I know Pepper kept saying he had it because who wouldn't after what he went through. I know Obie was really evil, but he had a way of calming Dad down.

Whatever Dad is hiding, he's hidden it deep, deep into Jarvis, into levels I can't even hack.

Anyway, I'm writing this while sitting in The Stark Industries boardroom, it's two in the afternoon. Dad's sleeping for once. We're waiting for the vendors to get on the phone.

He doesn't look too good.

APRIL 19th

We had dinner, just the two of us. Dad suggested it because he said that this time next month, we'll both be so busy with the Expo it would be a miracle if we remembered our birthdays. He told me if I found 'a good restaurant' he would take me.

I made Dad turn off all his electronics, because I know he has three phones, a pager, and one of the first 'cell phones' (complete with antenna!) that he has hidden in one of his cars. I turned off mine as well. Pepper helped find us a nice restaurant. She initially suggested a few like in Brentwood or another in Thousand Oaks but Happy vetoed them, saying like "No, the Kardasian's film there." "This has photographers hanging out, they would kill if Tony Stark brought his daughter out."

I finally asked if there were any regular restaurants nearby and we found one called Neptune's Net. It's a seafood place. Happy, despite orders not too, scouted it out a few weeks back. I presented the restaurant to Dad who told me he was glad I "didn't inherit his personality. I would have just taken you to McDonalds."

Dad let me order off the regular menu, not the kid's menu. He seemed…surprised but he did look at me and go, "gosh, you've grown up."

We talked for three hours! Like the restaurant visit after his return was like two hours, but it seemed like he wanted to 'savor' the moment. We even got desert twice. One was on the way home, because Dad realized Pepper probably hadn't eaten in like two days and also because he wanted to share the experience, "of doing a midnight McDonalds run, you'll probably be doing a bunch of these in college."

I asked if everything was okay, and I told him not to lie to me. He said he wanted to make not only me proud, but make his "Dad proud." He told me he never got to say goodbye to his dad. It reminded me of last year. "If you died last year, the last words I would have said were 'ugh' to your "stay in school don't do drugs unless they're fun drugs." I told him.

He got really quiet. I told him It was okay if he didn't want to talk about it with me. He looked surprised. "its very obvious you're up to something, because you're making it impossible for even me to hack."

He got really quiet and he told me that he would tell me when it's time.

We're back at the office. Dad's typing furiously into his laptop, running 'some tests on Jarvis' is what he told me. Pepper's on a conference call/savoring the triple cheeseburger Dad got her. I'm going to sleep on the futon in dad's office. Goodnight J

APRIL 20th

We're flying to New York right now, I'm supposed to be getting sleep but I felt like this needed an update.

-We're basically about ninety five percent done with everything at the moment. All that's left is finalizing the various vendors and endorsements. Like I said before, there hasn't been a Stark Expo since my Dad was a kid, so a lot of people have been very wary. Like even Time was like, 'Can Tony Stark live up to The Hype?"

Another thing, Dad's working on the opening speech. Well I say Dad but we've been writing it together. He says this counts as a 'term paper' so we're watching/reading a lot of speeches together. It's going to be about five minutes long. I included a line about future generations, so that the camera (this is being broadcast online) can cut to where I am.

There's only been one issue with dad so far and it's the background dancer outfits. Yes Dad wanted explosions and 'sexy background dancers' as he entered. We had gotten a really nice design Iron Man suits from Nike for them to wear. Just today I found out Dad had gotten them to wear what looks to be like flashy leather underwear!

Pepper said it was hilarious to see a five foot tall girl standing in the backstage stomping my foot when I yelled at Dad about it. Dad, being Dad, asked if the outfits went against my feminist beliefs and I was a bit confused because I had never heard of that word before. Happy said its something "girls in the seventies were really into" But the more I'm researching it, the more I like what it means. I guess this means I am a feminist. Who knew? Ha-ha

APRIL 22nd

Tonight was amazing! It was the opening night for the Expo, and Dad flew in his Iron Man suit (the dancers kept those stupid outfits) and he did a SUPERHERO LANDING! I was worried about the outfit underneath because there had been a few mishaps when he tried it before (and that's how I know he likes rubber ducky boxers) but it went perfectly! The camera did cut to me when he said for future generations and from what twitter feeds said it was a very beautiful moment. It fed Dad's ego and he feels great. He even feels great even though he has to testify in front of Congress tomorrow. Pepper says this has been an issue since he came back. I was very confused because I thought Dad had cleared back in October. Oh well.

I'm flying to DC tonight with Pepper, so we can be there at the hearing tomorrow. Dad decided to drive with Happy.

Honestly, this feels like something I could do, help Dad with the company. I mean I know I'm only ten but I'm already seeing into ten years from now, I could be the VP, and I'll take over when Dad retires. Or dies, he'll probably work until he dies. But that's like billions of years from now. He's not close to dying.

1AM- I can't sleep, but we're at the hotel, I didn't catch the name but it's one apparently Grandpa used to put Dad up at sometime when Grandpa would 'make a stop' in Dc for the holidays. I called Dad and Happy answered and said Dad was sleeping but they were about an hour from DC. Happy was about to stop for some gas and asked if I wanted something from the 7-11. Pepper's asleep on the couch.

2:15AM- they finally arrived. Dad seems really groggy and when I hugged him and bumped against the arc he seemed like he was in a little pain. He's passed out on the bed. We'll wake him a few hours J

APRIL 23rd

6:30 AM- Dad's showering. He's been there for about a hour so I think he's going to try and look really 'professional', well as much as Dad can :p

Pepper says its very cute when I cuddle next to him on the bed, its like a bear cub next to the mama bear. She's helping me do my hair and outfit. I asked her if she thought I needed a bra yet, because I have been noticing my shirts look funny in the chest area. She said its possible I'll need a training bra soon but that she'd help me get a nice one.

Happy got room service and Dad walked in already dressed and said he wasn't hungry but he and Pepper bickered a little bit over food. I made a comment like "okay mom and dad the kid is still in the room" and that got them quiet. I asked Happy if I embarrassed them and he said, "usually the stark snarkiness gene skips a generation."

We're about to leave soon for the hearing. I'm sure Dad will do great.

9pm- Oh my gosh. What a day. Okay so we get there and this arrogant butthole of a senator was trying to get dad to turn over his Iron Man suits to the government. Like I said before, this one senator decided it was important to call a freaking' congressional hearing about said suits.

I asked if Phil had tried to stop him but Dad said the government doesn't properly recognize SHIELD. Its apparently top secret and often 'need to know' in terms of.

Anyway, so JUSTIN HAMMER shows up, which is super cool, but he wasn't trying to be dad's friend or trying to teach me basic programming like the last time he saw me. Rhody even showed up! But they were trying to get him to testify against Dad :/

I sat next to Pepper and she did not like it that Dad was making all these jokes. Most of them I didn't really get but they were funny and he kept looking at Pepper and me. Pepper didn't find them funny and she had a frown on her face. I think it was because she didn't like how 'carefree' Dad was, according to Happy.

His smile went away when he saw pepper's face.

Then something happened, where Rhody was trying to show us Iran and North Korea's attempt at making Iron Man suits but Dad pulled out his phone and like showed all the bad footage and HAMMER WAS WORKING IN IRAN! He was making Iron Man type stuff for Iran and North Korea! Dad basically told them like "owning the suits is owning me and that's slavery" and then we left. Of course, these days, leaving with Dad is leaving with like fifty cameras in your face, which I don't like but Dad tells me to ignore them.

So basically the butthole senator didn't get his way. We're flying home now, I can't wait. Hopefully the craziness that's been the last week will be over. Pepper's not really talking to Dad.

APRIL 24th

DAD RESIGNED FROM THE COMPANY DAD RESIGNED FROM THE COMPANY! WHAT IS THIS!

He put Pepper in charge! I'm still like the presumptive heir but Pepper's in charge now. Dad said told Pepper he didn't 'want to miss out on the best years of Bo's life, you know before she turns into a angry teenager who hates my guts'. Pepper was shocked, really, so was I. Happy says its best to keep a low profile and not question his judgment but I think even Happy's nervous. Rhody did text me and ask if everything was okay and I didn't know how to respond so I said yes.

Dad let me have my first martini today with lunch. He made me an omelet. I asked what this meant now. He got really quiet and he said he wanted to ask me a question and I went 'what' and then he paused and said never mind and asked me if I wanted a martini and he made it and it didn't taste good but he said it would taste better once I got used to it. He went back to his lab and I haven't seen him since, so I just did the assignments for the week.

Sorry if this seems shorter than most, Dad and Pepper are arguing and I can hear it from up here.

Ugh just kiss and makeup.

APRIL 26th

Okay so I've been emailing back and forth with this lady named Jane Foster. She's an astrophysicist at Culver University. Dad said it was his second choice had he decided to go for a Masters, otherwise he would have stayed at MIT, had his parents not been killed in a weird car accident. Dad says I might go there, but I'm thinking MIT, Caltech, Oxford, or even NYU, I don't want to go too far from Dad.

She's been helping me with the science stuff of this homeschooling program, as well as just mentoring me in general in terms of a career.

Of course, she was very reluctant to help until she realized my last name was Stark as in 'The Tony Stark'. So basically I may have to get dad to help fund a project or two, but I'll worry about that later. She's pretty cool though. She has an assistant named Darcy who's really neat as well. Maybe I can go visit them, which would be really cool.

Anyway Jane emailed me today and showed me these cool weather patterns that she's been studying, which I was thought was really neat! Wouldn't it be cool if like aliens came to earth?

APRIL 30th

Okay so something weird just happened. I'm sitting here, doing my schoolwork and Dad knocks on the door and comes in and sits on the bed. He said he wanted to talk about something and so I was like 'okay.' he REFUSED to say anything. Like he kept changing the conversation and asking me like, "So what are your thoughts on the Stark Expo? Does Pepper need to get you new bedsheets? Have you heard from your mother recently?"

I sort of…lost my cool.

Here's the thing, I knew kids at school who fought with their parents, and who sometimes their parents yell back, and one girl who's dad once slapped her. But Dad and I...we don't fight. I'm the one who raises my voice. Sometimes I regret it, sometimes I don't.

Dad will sometimes look down at me and when I'm done being me he'll go 'you done Bo?" Sometimes if I'm still a little pissy Dad will leave. He'll tell me he'll be in his lab or he'll go make himself a drink. I think the longest I've ever gone without talking to him was four hours. He never asks for a apology really, but he'll just go "you done Bo?" and I'll go "yeh." and we'll hug and everything will be nice today.

Today was one of those days. Dad left the room; I called Happy in and made him give me a boxing lesson. I suck at it but it was nice to vent. Dad came in about an hour and a half into the lesson and waited for Happy to notice him. Happy went off, and Dad came up, put on the pads and let me tire myself out. After a while we finished and he looked at me. "I'm doing this for you." is all he said.

"But I don't know what this is." I told him.

He hugged me right then and there. He had a worried look on his face but petted my hair and kissed it and I heard him say very quietly, "Maria"

He never uses my real name. I'm worried.