Tony was, as always, down in his workshop tinkering with one of his cars when Pepper arrived the next morning. "Tony, what are you still doing here?" She asked him. "Shouldn't you be at the courthouse by now?"

He stopped what he was doing and stood up to face her. "I've told them we're running late. Ruby is still asleep."

"Do you want me to go and wake her?" Pepper asked, wondering why he hadn't done that himself already. He was desperate to get everything sorted, so why was he waiting around?

"No." He told her sharply. "She hasn't been sleeping enough as it is. Just let her sleep, Pepper."

The woman just smiled and nodded at him. She could already see a slight change in his behaviour, and it was a good change. "Happy has dropped her things off. There wasn't much there to collect. And there is also a very large supply of jellybeans in the kitchen as well."

"Great, those are for Ruby." Tony told her, wiping his hands on an oily rag.

Pepper just frowned at him. "You brought her jellybeans?" The confusion was clear in her voice.

"Sugar." He told her, walking over to his desk.

"Sorry?"

"She needs the sugar. She hasn't been eating properly and she hates having sugar in her drinks." Tony said, typing away at his high tech keyboard. "Ruby prefers jellybeans."

"So, how are you feeling about all of this?" Pepper asked him nervously.

He let out a sigh before spinning his chair to face her. "I've missed 17 years of her life, I have no idea what she likes and what she doesn't. I don't even know if she has any allergies."

"Sir, I may be able to collect that information from SWAIN." JARVIS called, butting into the conversation.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Sure, ask him." Tony replied. "I'm having my AI communication with my daughter's AI." He sighed.

"You know, you could just ask her yourself." Pepper suggested.

"I will. But I'd like to know before I feed her something that could kill her."

"Sir, it would appear that Miss Matthews is allergic to pears as well as a few different medicines. SWAIN has compiled a list for you." JARVIS told him, bringing the list up on the screen for Tony to see.

While Tony was browsing through the list, Ruby had finally decided to wake up. She rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand as she reached out for her earpiece with the other. "Morning, SWAIN." She called, starting to stretch out her arms.

"Good morning, Miss Matthews. Today is another big day for you." He replied to her as she rolled onto her side and looked out of the wall that was pure glass.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Not quite sure how I feel about it all yet, I think I'm just still trying to make sense of it all." She told him, enjoying the sunshine coming through the windows.

"Your bags have been left outside of the room for you, and I should also inform you that Mr Stark has requested a list of your allergies."

"That's only fair I suppose." She mumbled, finally dragging herself out of the bed and over to the door. "I take it you have already given it to him?"

"I have, Miss Matthews." SWAIN told her.

Ruby didn't really mind. She thought it was sensible that he had actually bothered to ask, she didn't think Tony Stark was capable of being sensible. "As long as he doesn't try to poison me with the information, that's fine." She said, grabbing her suitcases and pulling them over to the bed.

She heaved one of the dark purple cases onto the bed, before unzipping it. "Jeans and Converses." She mumbled, rummaging through everything. "Where they hell are they?"

"You may wish to try the other suitcase, Miss Matthews." SWAIN finally said, seeing that she was getting a little frustrated.

Ruby let out a sigh. "And you couldn't have told me this sooner?" She asked, looking at the pile of clothing now smothered all over the bed. "All I want is my jeans and Converses." She mumbled, opening the next suitcase and pulling everything out of that one as well.

"Ah! Perfect." She cried, finding a pair of navy Converses and her black jeans. She grabbed the first top she laid her hands on and bounded happily into the bathroom. She quickly showered and dressed, loosely tying her wet hair back.

"What the hell happened in here?" Tony's voice reached her ears just as she opened the bathroom door.

"Um, suitcases spontaneously exploded?" She told him, shrugging her shoulders and walking into the room.

Tony just shook his head. "JARVIS told me you were up and getting ready. Thought I'd come and…"

"Oh, well that was rude of me. Good morning, JARVIS." Ruby called, cutting Tony off midsentence. "I'm only used to talking to SWAIN in the morning."

"Of course, good morning, Miss Matthews." JARVIS replied to her.

"Don't I get a 'good morning' as well?" Tony asked her, frowning a little. He really didn't like it when people interrupted him, usually it was him doing it to other people.

"Oh, yeah, morning." She said, starting to shove things back into the empty suitcases.

"Why don't you just put everything in the wardrobe rather than shove it all back in a suitcase?" He asked, wondering why she was doing that.

Ruby stopped and looked at him as she tossed a few more things in. "Because I'm lazy? Anyway, you wanted something?"

"We're ready to leave when you are. Pepper has already been asking me why we haven't left yet. I told her you needed to sleep a little longer." He said, before pulling something out of his pocket. "Oh, and these are for you."

Ruby caught the bag as he tossed it to her. "Awesome, jellybeans. Thanks." She said, before chucking a few in her mouth. "Well, I'm ready now, so let's go."

A silver Audi R8 pulled into the garage of Tony Stark's Malibu mansion. "Welcome home, sir, Miss Matthews-Stark." JARVIS called as the engine turned off.

"Hey, JARVIS." Ruby called, a grin on her face. He was the third one that actually matters to her to call her by that now. SWAIN had been the second, and Tony had called her by her new name straight away.

There was a grin on Tony's face as well as he walked over to his desk, where the screens suddenly appeared before him. "Anything interesting happen while we were gone?" He asked, looking through some things on the screen.

"Mr Stane called, sir. He was enquiring as to why you have not been at the office." JARVIS informed him.

"Hey, Ruby? How do you feel about going out for dinner tonight? There's someone I need you to meet." He called over to her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, I'm guessing it's going to be somewhere really expensive and posh?"

Tony spun in his chair to face her, finding her leaning against Maggie-May. "Only the best. JARVIS, set it up and call Obie."

"Oi, SWAIN? Anything in those suitcases suitable for going out to dinner?" Ruby asked him.

"There are 3 dresses which would be suitable for you, Miss Matthews." He replied. After calling her Miss Matthews-Stark once, he reverted back to just calling her Miss Matthews.

"Awesome. I suppose it's time I went and sorted everything out then." She said, pushing herself away from her car. "Might as well unpack and put everything away while I'm at it."

Tony just smiled at her. "Have fun. I'll get JARVIS to let you know when to start getting ready."

Ruby nodded at him before heading out of the workshop, which was also the garage, and up to her room. He couldn't help but smile to himself now. Ruby hadn't put up a fight when they were at the courthouse, she just let him get on with everything and answered when she was spoken to.

"Tony! I was wondering when I was going to hear from you. Where have you been?" A male voiced called to him.

"Hey, Obie. I've got a little surprise for you, how about we go out for dinner?" Tony asked, trying not to just run his mouth and tell him straight away.

"What are you up to, Tony?" Obie asked him.

The grin wouldn't fade from his face. "Who say's I'm up to anything? So, dinner?"

He heard the man sigh at the other end. "Okay, Tony. I'll meet you for dinner. And this better be good."

"Oh, it will be." He said, before ending the call. He couldn't wait to show off his daughter to Obadiah Stane, his partner at Stark Industries and one of his most trusted friends. He knew he had to tell him before the press got hold of the news, and he was rather looking forward to that as well. He hadn't quite decided how to tell the press yet, but he was going to make it spectacular.

While Tony was sitting there, grinning like the cat who got the cream, Ruby was sorting through her suitcases and putting everything away.

"I really should have brought more clothes with me." She moaned, hanging up a few of her dresses. "Everything I have is just… boring."

"You were in a rush when you packed, Miss Matthews. I believe your were randomly throwing things into the suitcases." SWAIN called in her ear.

She walked back over to the cases and froze when she saw what was left sitting in there. "I guess it wasn't all random things." She muttered, pulling out s little silver box. "I remembered this."

Ruby sat on the edge of the bed, the silver box held tightly in her hands. Her mother had given it to her on her 12th birthday, with a silver charm bracelet inside of it. She pulled the lid up and looked inside of it, letting out a sigh when she realised just what she had in there.

"Is everything alright, Miss Matthews-Stark?" JARVIS called to her.

"Uh, yeah. Um… everything's fine, JARVIS." She replied, her voice a little shaky. "Just… memories." She told him, getting up from the bed and placing the box down carefully on the dresser. "JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Matthews-Stark?" He called back to her.

"Has Tony said anything about going to pick up the rest of my things from Denver yet?" She asked him nervously. "There are things there that I kind of need and… well I need to do something about SWAIN as well."

"Not yet he hasn't, Miss Matthews-Stark. I suggest you ask him."

Ruby let out a sigh. "Yeah, I guess I should. Thanks anyway, JARVIS." That was when she realised that she had yet to call Liam and let him know what was going on. "SWAIN, can you call Liam, please."

"Calling Mr Roberts." He replied, before she heard the ringing of the call in her ear.

"Hey, Ruby." His voice floated into her ear. "You been causing much trouble today?"

Of course, he would have to think she was causing trouble as well, just like everyone else did. "No, actually. We went to the courthouse this morning, I am now officially Ruby Matthews-Stark." She told him rather proudly.

"No way, you took his name already?" It was clear that Liam was a little shocked at that little piece of information.

Ruby shrugged to herself. "Well, why not? He's the only family I have left now, I'm the only real family he has as well. He wanted me to be a Stark, and I wanted to still be a Matthews, so we compromised."

She heard him chuckling a little on the other end of the line. "You told him that if he didn't like it he could stick it, didn't you?" Liam knew her all too well, and even without being around her he knew what she would do.

"Yeah, I did. But anyway, on to important matters…the house." Her tone suddenly turned serious.

"Everything has been fine there. SWAIN gave me the address to forward your mail and all of that. I've been keeping it dust free as well." He told her.

"That's fine, but there's something else. I don't want to sell the house, but it's pointless it sitting there doing nothing. Plus, what with having SWAIN there as well, it just adds to the complications." Ruby told him. "I know you and Val are struggling, I've seen your apartment, which is more like a closet. That's why I want you guys to actually live in the house."

"But Ruby, we can't… I mean… it's your house… and…" Liam stuttered.

"Exactly, it's my house. I can do with it what I please. If it makes you feel any better, I'll demand the same amount of rent you're paying now." There was a slight grin on her face. Ruby knew that Liam would take good care of the house for her. "Look, it's the perfect solution. I need someone to watch the house, you and Val need a decent place to live. I trust you, Liam, so just accept it and move in."

He let out a sigh, knowing that he was not going to get out of it. If Ruby wanted him and his fiancé to live in the house, there was no way he could say no. "Yes ma'am. Val will be excited, you know how much she loves that house."

"I know. Call it an early wedding gift or something. I'll be there at some point to start packing some things up." She told him, glad that he had accepted. "At least now I don't have to put everything in storage."

"So, now that the important stuff is all out of the way, how are things going there?" Liam asked cautiously. He didn't want to admit it, but he was worried about her. He had known her for so long, they had grown up together, even if he was a fair bit older than her. He had acted like an older brother most of the time, getting protective of her and always helping her out. His life was a lot quieter now that she was in Malibu.

"It's… different. He lives in a great big mansion that's pretty much hanging over the edge of a cliff." She told him, lying back down on her bed, just knowing that the conversation was going to last a little longer. "I mean, it's nice seeing the ocean outside of my window every morning but…"

"Rube, that is not what I meant and you know it." Liam called, interrupting her.

She let out a sigh. "I don't know. We haven't really talked too much, we still know hardly anything about each other. You can't make up 17 years worth in just a few days."

"No, but you have to make an effort, Rube. Don't you go thinking that he has to do all the work, that it has to be him to start a conversation. Just talk with him, find some common ground and build from that." Liam told her. Ruby hated to admit it, but he really was right. She did need to make an effort and find some common ground with the man who was her father, otherwise things would never get any better for either of them.

"Sir, yes sir." She called down the earpiece to him.

"I'm serious, Rube. And don't you dare let him drag you into his playboy lifestyle." He warned.

She couldn't help but snort a little. "Oh please, like that will ever happen. I mean, Tasha would be on my ass so damn quick if that were to happen. She'd probably take me prisoner and knock some sense into me."

That just made Liam laugh at her. "That is very true."

"Sorry to disturb you, Miss Matthews-Stark, but Mr Stark has asked me to inform you that the table is booked for eight. I suggest you start getting ready now, Miss." JARVIS called to her.

"Who the hell was that? Did you change SWAIN's voice or something?" Liam asked her.

"No, that was JARVIS, he's… uh… Tony's AI. We're going out for dinner, he want's me to meet someone, probably before they find out from the press who I am." She told him.

"Wow, two AI's in one house. That has to be confusing."

"Not really. SWAIN is only in my earpiece, JARVIS is everywhere." Ruby informed her friend. "But SWAIN and JARVIS can communicate by themselves now. Anyway, I probably should start getting ready now. I get to dress up, yay." She called, unenthusiastically.

Liam chuckled. "You're going out to play pretty princess?" He asked her.

"Please, you know I'd much rather go out in jeans and Converses. It's you and SWAIN that make me wear those awful things called dresses." Ruby scoffed. She never had been much of a person for wearing dresses. She always managed to get them filthy from whatever she was tinkering with.

"And now you get to go out and be daddy's little princess."

"Watch it." Ruby warned. "I can have SWAIN make your life very unpleasant, remember."

"Yeah, you keep telling me that, but I just think it's all talk. Make sure you call again soon, and try to enjoy yourself tonight."

"I will, send Val my love. I'll let you guy's know when I'm coming to clear my things out." They said their goodbyes and Ruby got up from the bed and started rummaging though the wardrobe. "Okay SWAIN, what one?" She asked him, looking at the three dresses in front of her. One was a knee length turquoise dress, with thin straps over the shoulders and lace around the bodice. The second was slightly longer, but still not reaching the floor and in a pastel purple colour. It was rather plain, apart from the detailed silver stitching around the hem of the skirt. Finally she looked over at the floor length silver halter neck dress. It was given to her by her mother, and something that she had worn when she was younger.

"I would recommend the silver dress with the matching shoes, Miss Matthews." He told her after a few minutes. "It would go nicely with the silver charm bracelet and necklace you have with you."

"You just want me to look like my mother, don't you?" She asked, frowning a little.

"I am only making a suggestion, Miss Matthews, you do not have to follow my advice. However, you did ask for it."

She let out a small groan. "Yes, okay, fine. Silver dress and shoes with the necklace and charm bracelet, got it. Anything else?"

"I would also suggest you have your hair down for the evening, Miss Matthews."

She rolled her eyes as she grabbed the dress and shoes, before heading out of sight and into the bathroom. Ruby really did hate dressing up, she never usually had anything to dress up for but she had a feeling that her father was going to find plenty of opportunities to get her to play princess.

It was almost an hour later when she was finally ready, sitting on the bed and putting on the bracelet. "Miss Matthews-Stark, Mr Stark is waiting for you downstairs when you are ready." JARVIS called to her.

"Tell him I'll be there in a minute." She replied, standing up and looking at herself in the mirror. "Well, here goes nothing." She mumbled, before heading out of the room and down to the garage where her father was waiting for her.

The moment Tony laid eyes on her, his mouth fell open. She looked so much like her mother, standing there in a dress that he could have sworn he had seen before. "Wow." He finally managed to say. "You really do look like your mother right now."

"Uh, thanks. It probably helps that this is her dress." She said, tugging at it a little.

He tilted his head to the side a little. "I thought I recognised it. But I also recognise that." He told her, pointing to the diamond covered star pendant hanging on a silver chain around her neck.

Ruby just nodded. "You gave it to her one Christmas and she gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday."

"I didn't know she kept it." Tony said, smiling a little.

"She kept everything. Jewellery, clothes, silly little love letters. I think there is a whole box full of them back at the house." Tony was a little lost for words, he had never expected Jasmine to keep any of those things.

"Right, shall we go?" He said, stepping over to his Audi and expecting Ruby to follow him. Only she didn't.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could drive Maggie-May there myself." She asked him nervously. "It's just… Tony Stark arriving with a teenager, not really going to look that great at the moment is it?"

He hadn't thought about that. The world needed to wait just a little bit longer before finding out that there was another Stark. "Okay, JARVIS, send Ruby the directions to the restaurant. And Ruby, if you are more than 30 minutes behind me, you are in serious trouble."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Grounded till I'm 30 now?"

He couldn't help but smirk at her. "Possibly. A year for each minute you're late, I think that sounds fair."

"Yeah, I got it. 30 minutes behind you and no later. Maybe I will get there before you, then can I ground you for being late?"

His smirk turned into a frown. "If you get there before me, then I know you were speeding, and I'll double your grounding."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You just want to keep grounding me, that's all it is. But in 2 day's time, you're going to be so fed up with me that you're going to have to unground me before I drive you insane." She reminded him, stepping over to her mother's car.

"Oh, we'll see about that, missy." He replied, opening the door to his car. "30 minutes and no later. JARVIS, make sure SWAIN keeps her safe and that she gets there in once piece."

"Of course, sir. Have a good evening sir, miss." JARVIS called back.

Ruby let out a groan as she got into her own Audi and started up the engine. Tony was quick to start up his own, the roof of the car down and his music already blaring out. "SWAIN, give me a bit of Iron Maiden. And make it loud." She asked as both the windows rolled down, allowing the music to flow into the garage.

Tony looked back, hearing her music trying to over power his own. His head turned sharply as the silver TT whizzed past him and out of the mansion. "Oh, it's on." He said, before speeding off after her.

That was how most of the drive went, the pair of them racing and trying to beat the other to their destination. Only Ruby was having none of it, she had done a lot more driving than her father knew, and she had the skills to prove it.

"Miss Matthews, Mr Stark would like to speak with you." SWAIN called to her, turning down the music slightly.

She let out a sigh. "Fine."

"You're speeding." Tony called to her through the earpiece.

"So are you." She countered, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead of her.

"Yes, but I'm not a 17 year old kid."

"Please, just because I'm 17, that does not make me a kid. You just hate the fact that this old and beaten down TT is faster than your sweet little R8." Ruby scoffed.

"That car is not faster than mine." Tony retorted, feeling a little annoyed that she was actually going at a higher speed than he was able to.

"You keep telling yourself that."

He let out a sigh, just knowing that she was going to be stubborn on the matter and speed even more if he kept pressing that his car was, in fact, better and faster. "I thought the idea was to arrive separately?"

"It is." Ruby told him, glancing at the GPS quickly. They were almost there now, and she was going to have to let the R8 past her. "That's why I'm going to stop off somewhere and have a drink." She said with a grin as she sharply turned the car right.

The R8 rushed past where she had just turned, carrying on its journey to the restaurant. "Oh no, I don't think so." Tony warned her. "You're underage, no one is going to serve you."

Ruby couldn't help but chuckle a little. "That's what you think. I have my ways, we all do. See you in 30 minutes." She said, before ending the call and pulling the car over. She wasn't actually planning on going out drinking before catching up with him, she just wanted a little time on her own, in a familiar place.

When she was younger, her mother would always find her curled up in the car if she was worrying about something, or if she needed time to think. It was like her little sae haven, a place for her to retreat to.

Unknowingly, tears began to stream down her cheeks as thoughts of her mother entered her mind. Ruby missed her so much, and no matter how much she said she was okay, she really wasn't. She would give anything to see her again, to go out shopping with her or to just sit and watch a movie together. But that could never happen. Her mother was gone, and Ruby could only carry on as best she could and make her mother even more proud.

"Miss Matthews, you have 7 minutes to get to the restaurant before Mr Stark begins to count up your grounding." SWAIN called to her.

She quickly looked at her face in the mirror and wiped away the mess on her cheeks. She was glad she had opted for very little make up. "And how long will it take me to get to the restaurant?" She asked, turning the engine back on.

"Roughly 18 minutes." He replied.

She couldn't help but grin. "And I'll make it there in 6." She said, putting the car into gear and speeding off.

Meanwhile, Tony was already sitting in the restaurant with Obadiah Stane, sipping at his drink. "So come on, Tony, why have you brought me here?" Obadiah asked him, watching the man before him closely.

"Oh, there's someone I want you to meet. They should be here soon." He said, glancing at his watch. 3 more minutes and she would be late, and he was ready to ground her some more.

"This had better be good, Tony."

"Trust me, its going to be so much more than good. I assure you." He replied, trying to keep the smirk from his face. He couldn't want to see his reaction when he saw Ruby.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, it's been a really hectic week and weekend. Camping with 43 children was pretty fun, but we had a few too many accidents, leading to hospital trips.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and to those who have favourited/followed. You guys rock.

so keep leaving me reviews, so I can make this stroy so much better.

Pippa.