An at the bottom

I don't own Marvel

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Chapter seven

I was standing by the car; actually I was leaning against it. I had pushed myself a little far with the running after my physical training session and I could feel my legs getting weaker. Pepper and Happy were standing in front of me, Pepper had cried a little and she still had red around her eyes. I had my sunglasses on; it was the only way to pass off the fact that I hadn't sobbed my eyes out for the past eight hours.

The plane landed and slowly, very slowly; the back of it opened.

I sat up straight and watched my dad as he walked down the ramp. Walked; the bastard was walking. In fact the only thing that seemed wrong with him is that his arm was in a sling.

He walked up to Pepper and Happy, making some small talk between them about job hunting and how they actually had to do their jobs now.

Then he walked past them and stopped in front of me. He looked me up and down, we both had sunglasses on.

"Scarlett," he said, looking at me.

I looked up at him, every bone in my body wanted to hug him but I knew how he felt about personal displays of affection in public. I weighed each option at that moment and I realized that my dad's hand that wasn't in the sling keep clenching and unclenching. Then I realized he was as nervous as I was.

So screw what he wanted. I wanted a hug.

I lunged forward and wrapped both of my arms around his neck. "It's about damn time," I whispered. I felt his good arm wrap around me. "I missed you," I finished.

I felt something hard underneath his shirt so I pulled back and looked down at it. "Please," he said causing my attention to jump back to him. "Wait until later."

I glanced back down at whatever was underneath my father's shirt. He hardly ever asked for me to do anything let alone say the word 'please' so I nodded my head and went in for another hug.

"I missed you too, Scar," he said returning the hug again.

I pulled back but still kept an arm around his middle. "Heard you were the one responsible for bringing me home?" he said.

I scoffed. "Of course," I said. "Couldn't trust anyone else to do it."

"That's my girl," he said as Happy walked over and opened the door for us to get into the car.

We slid into the backseat and Pepper jumped into the passenger seat.

"Where to, sir?" Happy asked as he peeked in the rearview mirror.

"Take us the hospital, please Happy," Pepper said.

I grimaced, my hatred of the hospital briefly out weighing the fact that my dad probably needed to get to the hospital, especially considering that something was inserted into his chest. I wonder if SHIELD would send a doctor for him? I wonder if it would be Creepy Doctor?

"No," my dad said.

Huh, I wondered, if he didn't need a doctor did that mean he was really fine? "So you're telling me that your arm is the only thing that you hurt?" I asked a little shocked, I mean, hell I lost the ability to walk and would still be in a wheelchair if SHIELD hadn't decided to inject me with their super awesome healing stuff. And all that happened to him was a sprained arm?

"Something like that," he commented offhandedly.

I turned to face him I squinted my eyes as I assessed that comment; he was lying. The only thing I needed to figure out was what he was lying about.

"Tony, you have to go to the hospital," Pepper said. "A doctor has to look at you."

"I don't have to do anything," my dad said. "I've been in captivity for three months I want an American cheeseburger and the other," he trailed off.

"Ew," I said scrunching my nose. "Dad, I'm right here."

"Not that," he said slapping my shoulder playfully. "Pepper, I need you to call a press conference."

"What for?" Pepper asked

Tony just ignored her and looked at Happy. "Hogan, cheeseburger first."

Happy started laughing. "I don't think so, sir," he said as we pulled out of the hanger.

"Excuse me?" my dad said, a little shocked that out of every request he has had for Happy that this one is the one he denies.

I chuckled as I pulled out the Burger King bag. "I already got you some," I said. "Figured a good burger was something you would want."

The shock on my dad's face was soon replaced by a smile as he took the bag and threw his arm around my shoulder. Pepper rolled her eyes and started to pull out her phone, ready to get the press conference all set up.

"So tell me," he said taking a bite out of his burger, "what have you been doing while I was gone?"

I froze, what had I been doing? I had been recovering the use of my legs, breaking into government agencies, and looking through his company for a rat, and drinking... a lot.

"Nothing much, started running the company," I said shrugging my shoulders. "Peter was down here for a couple of months."

I noticed Pepper freeze a little at me mentioning Peter but I didn't say anything else; that was a conversation I needed to have with her, alone.

My dad just nodded his head as Happy continued to drive to Stark Industries. "So should I expect it in shambles selling bricks to baby homes?" he asked me in between bites

I laughed, "No you're never going to find the department I set up to make those bricks."

When we pulled up all of the news and magazines were already there and so was Obi, he even opened the door for us as we got out.

"Look at this," he exclaimed. "Tony, we were going to meet you at the hospital."

"Nah, I'm fine," my dad said throwing an arm around me again as the three of us walked into the building. "Scar brought me some burgers so this was naturally our next stop."

I shot my dad a smile, happy that despite how horrible our relationship used to be, it might have hit a turning point. Starting now.

We walked into the building and dad walked right up to the stage; I slipped over to the side. My back was killing me and I needed to lean against something.

"I heard you yelled at Agent Coulson," I heard a voice say next to me.

I turned my head and saw Clint standing next to me. "Big Bird, did you miss me?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Are you sticking with this nickname?" he asked.

I gave him a huge grin. "Yep," I said popping the p. "And I didn't yell at him, I simply said that today out of all days isn't the best to try and recruit me."

Clint nodded his head. "You know they are just going to keep pushing for an answer, especially since you somehow hacked your way in."

"I know," I said softly. "And I just don't have one; there are too many things going on now."

"I'll see what I can do about them holding off for a little," Clint said. "But the fact that you broke in and can look at any file you want makes them nervous."

"I was only curious because I saw a file on the Starks'," I tried to defend myself. "Which led me to your file but it's not like I dug into your past or anything."

"I know, I know," Clint said holding his hands up. "I'm not the one saying you are capable of taking over the world."

I chuckled. "Big Bird, if I had any interest in global domination, it would have already happened," I said.

"Well, what do you have an interest in?" Clint asked.

"Having a relationship with my dad," I confessed not looking at Clint but looking at my dad who was talking with some of the reporters before the conference started. "Figure out what he is hiding," I add thinking about whatever was under his shirt that he didn't want me to take notice of.

Clint didn't say anything but just nodded. "Ok, but between you and me do you even want to come and work for us?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to answer when my father suddenly asked for everyone in the audience to sit down.

I bit my lip, not sure where he was going with this but what the hell, I slid down the wall and waited for whatever spectacle my father had planned for the media.

"Coulson is talking to Pepper," Clint said leaning over to whisper in my ear. I spared a glance at Pepper and sure enough there was the agent talking to Pepper.

"What do you think he wants to talk about?" I asked him back, thinking that maybe he was tattling on me about hacking into Shield.

"Probably wants to have a meeting with your father," he said.

I didn't say anything but I just nodded my head and turned back to face my dad.

"I never got to say goodbye to my father. And I almost denied my daughter that right as well. There're questions that I would have asked him. As I am sure there are questions that Scarlett would like to ask me." I felt the heat rise up in my cheeks; some reporters peered over at me at the mention of saying goodbye to him. "I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels. ... I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability," he continued.

I looked up at Dad, trying to make eye contact with him as I tried to piece together what exactly he was trying to do.

"Mr. Stark" a reporter, Ben, I think his name was, tried to get my dad's attention.

"Hey, Ben," my dad said

"What happened over there?" he asked.

"I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately; I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be. What direction it should take, one that I'm comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good for this country, as well." My dad said standing up. My breath caught in my throat as I realized the implications of what his actions were. My dad just strode through the mob and continued on his way.

I tried to stand up, but my legs weren't working. "Clint," I said the panic clear in my voice.

Clint's head shot towards me and the thought of how fitting his code name 'Hawkeye' was rang through me, but was quickly replaced by my growing panic.

"I cant," I said trying to push myself up again. "I can't."

Clint stood up and grabbed my arms and pulled me to a standing position. I put my hands on his biceps and I steadied myself. "You okay?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath; I was fine I repeated to myself over and over again. "I'm fine," I said. "I just have been pushing myself lately and needed help."

Clint somehow knew what utter bullshit that was but he dropped it and just nodded his head, which I was grateful for. But he continued to walk with me as we headed out, his arm just ghosting behind me, ready to catch me if I should fall.

I saw my dad head into the arc reactor building; my neck of the woods, as I liked to think of it. "I'm good, thank you," I said before heading that way, what possible reason could my dad have for visiting there, and why was Obi following him?

Clint, taking that as the obvious dismissal that it was, just stood there while I followed Dad and Obi into the room.

"Who told you?" my dad was asking Obi. "Rhodey or Pepper?"

"Just show me," Obi demanded.

I walked up behind my dad just as he pulled open his shirt. "Dad?" I asked.

He turned to face me and then I saw it.

I saw why when I hugged him there was something hard in his chest.

I saw why he didn't want me to bring it up at the airplane.

And I saw why Obi wanted to see my father's chest so bad.

Because sitting there in my father's chest was my design of the arc reactor.

"Wha-," I asked walking towards him. "Dad?"

He didn't say anything as I pressed my fingers to the power source. Here was my hard work for the past few years, sitting in my father's chest, complete.

"I still don't understand why you had to close the company down," Obi said.

"We are going to lose stock points."

"Realistically forty," my dad said.

"More like fifty six," I countered still studying the arc reactor in his chest. "Doesn't look good for you to shut the company down just two and a half months after I did."

My dad slapped my hand so I removed it as he buttoned his shirt back. "You shut the company down?" he asked.

"Yes," Obi jumped in before I could answer. "She shut it down for three weeks."

"In honor of the soldiers who had died," I said softly.

My dad put his arm around me and I leaned into him. "Atta girl," he said kissing my head. I smiled.

"Besides I want to put more effort into the arc reactor, let Scar have some more scientists to work on it," my dad said.

"Scarlett?" Obi asked. "She has been working on this for years and you have accomplished more in three months than she did."

Oh I was pissed, how dare he say that.

"This is Scarlett's design," my dad said defending me. "And had she not spent the past three months recovering and running the company I'm sure that she could produce this."

I was still upset that Obi didn't think I was capable of doing this, but the fact that my dad came to my rescue was nice so I let it go... for now.

Obi shot me a weird look but spoke to my dad. "Listen to me, we are a team. So you understand? There's nothing we can't do if we don't stick together, like your father and me," he said.

I could tell my dad wasn't paying any attention now but he nodded his head anyway. "You gotta let me handle this," Obi said.

"We gotta go home," I countered; the hidden meaning of we can do whatever the fuck we want clear as day.

Obi didn't say anything as we left the building, my dad and I headed to the car. I saw Clint standing over to the side so I sent him a nod and a smile, knowing he would take that as my gratitude.

"So in honor of the soldiers," my dad said.

"Among other things," I said.

My dad nodded and took the meaning that we would talk about it later.

However, it turned out later would be much later, I fell asleep on the way home, curled up into my dad.

I woke up in my bed, which was weird because I distinctly remember being in the car.

I froze, was it all a dream? No, it couldn't be, I found him I know I did.

"Jarvis!" I called out.

"Yes, Ms. Stark?" he replied.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, here we go I thought to myself; judgment day. "Is my dad here?" I ask

"Yes, Ms. Stark," Jarvis said. "He is in the lab."

My heart stopped as I felt joy rise up in me. He was here, he was here!

I ran to the lab, I know I really shouldn't considering the fact that Clint had to help me stand up just a few hours ago, but I didn't care. My dad was home!

I got to the top of the steps and slowly climbed down them, stairs and I weren't friends just yet.

"How is she?" I heard my father's voice

"She has her father back," Pepper's voice responded. "She is doing much better than before."

"How was she before?" he asked.

I froze, how was I before?

"She was part of a terrorist attack, and then had to deal without her father for three months," Pepper said avoiding the topic. "How do you think she was?"

Another rush of gratefulness towards Pepper raced through me as I heard the conversation continue.

"She looks terrible, she's too thin and she looks like she hasn't slept in months" my dad commented. "The little girl I remember is gone."

"She is," Pepper said. "That girl is long gone and in its place is someone who is stronger and with the help of the people she loves, maybe we can put all of the pieces back together again."

"Who was the guy with her today?" My dad said pretending to brush off Pepper's comment but I could hear it in his voice that he took what she said.

"Her physical therapist," Pepper asked.

"Why does Scarlett need a physical therapist?" my dad asked.

"Tony, did Rhodey not tell you?" Pepper asked.

"Did Rhodey not tell me what?" my dad countered.

"Scarlett was hurt, Tony," pepper asked. "In the accident."

"Hurt?" my dad said. "Is she okay?"

"She is getting there," Pepper said. "Tony, the Humvee exploded and a ton of shrapnel went into her back, she was in a wheelchair for almost two months and she has been relearning the use of her legs."

"She had to re-learn to walk?" my dad asked, his voice weak and starting to waver. "Without me?"

I decided it was time to stop spying so I slowly made my way back up the steps. "Dad?" I called out loudly as I slowly went down the steps. "Are you here?"

I heard shuffling and my dad's voice call out. "Down here," he said.

I opened up the glass door and saw him standing there, I couldn't help the grin that made its way to my face, nor could I stop the hug I gave him.

Well, if you could call it a hug, I launched myself at him... I couldn't help myself.

"Hey kid," he said returning the hug just as tight.

"Hi Dad," I replied. I buried my face in his neck, taking in the solidness of him, the smell of him. Everything that I missed and needed for three months was here now.

Pepper took our hug as a distraction as she slipped out of the room.

I broke our hug and he looked me up and down. "We need to talk," we both said at the same time.

I laughed and my dad chuckled.

"How about we trade, one question for another," I said, "complete honesty."

"Deal," my dad said. "But you have to help me build a new arc reactor."

I nodded my head as I took a seat at one of the tables.

"Ok, so what's wrong with the current model?" I said.

"It's not producing enough power," he said simply, I nodded my head and started to pull up the specs my dad had loaded onto the computer.

"So my question," he said, "how did you find me?"

"I hacked into every single one of the nation's agencies that had satellites and I pointed them to where your cell signal last was," I said as I continued to take in what my dad had developed.

"What is this powering?" I asked as I pulled out a notebook to start making some changes.

"An electro-magnet that is in my chest," he said.

I faltered as I looked up at him. "Why?" I asked.

My dad sighed. "Scar," he said walking over to where I was sitting.

"Dad, you're scaring me," I said as my eyes started to water. "Why is there an electromagnet in your chest?"

He took a deep breath. "Because I have shrapnel slowly making its way towards my heart, and the electro magnet is keeping them away from it."

Shrapnel in my back and in his chest, I thought to myself, what a pair we make.

"My turn," my dad said as he walked back over to his side of the table. "Talk to me about your injuries."

I licked my lips and started to make notes again. "Uncle Rhodey had put me behind a rock, he was going to get you because I begged him too, but our Humvee exploded and I was thrown forward. Turns out wearing a sheer white top wasn't the brightest idea because immediately I put my hand on my back and I felt the blood seep down my fingers. And then," I stopped, I couldn't tell him about Clint and how Shield was trying to recruit me. But we promised no lying and someone found me in the cave, in fact I had no idea how I got from the cave to the hospital.

"And then what?" My dad encouraged me to continue, I looked up at him and saw that he was gripping the table, pale and wanted to know what had happened to me.

I took a deep breath, "And then I ran," I said softly, "I could feel a panic attack coming and with the blood loss I knew I was going to pass out. There was so much gunfire so I ran to this little hole in the wall cave, and I passed out." I finished.

"Tha-," my dad began but his voice broke so he started again. "That's it?"

I nodded. "I woke up in an empty hospital room," I finished.

"Why did they take you?" I asked quickly, not wanting to dwell on my story.

"They wanted me to build them a Jericho missile," my dad said.

"Did you?" I prod.

"No, I built a suit that I escaped in instead," he said.

The silence that settled between us was eerie as I had finished making all the notes and fixes on the arc reactor and I needed to start actually building it.

"I know what's wrong with this," I said finally, needing to break the silence between us.

"What?" he asked

"You built it wrong," I said smiling at him. "You should leave the arc reactor stuff to me."

He laughed. "Sorry, there is only so much precision I can achieve in a cave."

I gave him a look. "Well you should practice," I said as I got off of the stool

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to change," I said. "I can't work with this shirt on."

"i'll be here waiting for you" he said as I walked up the steps.

I walked into my room, I felt embarrassed; here I just admitted to my dad that I ran away. I faced danger and I turned my tail and ran. I tried to shake it off, that feeling of being a disappointment as I changed into a tank top and threw on a plaid button up top.

I slowly made my way back to the lab, trying to quell the feeling of being two inches tall.

"Ready to go?" my dad asked, I looked up and wondered how I was here already but I nodded my head and took my seat as I started to actually build the new arc reactor.

"So why did you stop production?" I asked.

"Because the people who had taken me had crates and crates of our products," he said. "And I want to find out who is the one dealing underneath the table."

I nodded and turned on the welding torch. There is something about fire that I find fascinating, the beauty of the flame how it burns so hot and yet if you put your hand in the right spot, you wont get burned. I got lost in how I wielded the torch to melt metal when I heard my dad trying to speak to me.

"I'm sorry," I said throwing the helmet up and turning the torch off.

"Why did you stop production?" he asked.

I sighed and set the torch on the table. "I remember hearing this whine right before the first Humvee exploded," I said softly. "I knew that whine, I had heard it before, it was one of ours. So I closed the company down for three weeks while I checked the products made versus the products sold and found that the numbers didn't match up."

"Someone is dealing underneath the table," my dad said confirming the thought.

"Yep," I said popping the p as I finished working on the frame of the arc reactor. I had missed this, someone who would keep up with me and trade information and just accept that it was true. I hadn't had it since Peter had been with me and even then he had to take everything I said with a grain of salt. I mean, I was a seventeen year old with panic attacks and severe paranoia who was turning more and more into a drunk every day. I wouldn't have trusted anything I would have said either. "And the only way I caught it was because I looked at the paper records and crossed examine them, this goes high up."

My dad snorted. "I knew it wasn't to honor the soldiers," he said

"In a way it was, for the public, but I did something else as well," I said.

He nodded. "Care to explain?" he asked, wanting to know every detail of what I had been doing these past few months.

"I went to every funeral," I said quietly. "And I set up all of the families for life and gave them my number in case they needed anything."

"Set up the families?" he asked.

I nodded my head. "Yep, and I lost my billionaire status because of it," I fake pouted.

That had been something I had been adamant about, my trust fund was locked away, something that I had no desire to touch until I was twenty five. The money I spent was the money I had earned since I started working on the arc reactor as an employee of Stark Industries. My dad paid me a ridiculous amount I knew, but it was money I had earned and worked hard for. And it was that money that I had given to the families of the men and women that had died during the ambush.

I looked up at him. "That's all the questions I have for you, do you have anymore for me because I'm about to start ignoring you."

My dad chuckled. "No, I'm good sweetheart," he walked over to me and placed a kiss on my head.

"Now shoo," I said. "Go figure out what your company is going to do now that it is no longer a weapons company."

He left and I started to do what I do best. I saw where my dad had gone wrong and while I was impressed at what he made I knew I could make one better. My thoughts wondered to how easily Obi thought this was my dad's work. That there was no way I could have made this. I was hurt and I was angry. But my dad came to my rescue and gave me all of the credit. That was something new for him, in fact this whole touchy feely sweetheart stuff was all new to him. Maybe whatever happened to him realized how important family was. I mean mom was gone and that hurt both of us, but we still had each other. And I don't think I could handle it if another parent decided I wasn't worth their time.

Three hours had gone by, by the time I was done for the day. Max had wondered his way down here and was my companion for the time. But I smiled as the power that was coursing through the reactor reached one hundred percent. Everything was done but I had a few tests that I wanted to run before my dad put it into his chest.

I walked up the steps with Max behind me as I found my dad sitting in the living room with Pepper and Uncle Rhodey.

"I'm done," I said to him before I headed to my own computer lab. "But I have a few more tests to run so it's not done done, but more done for the day."

"Where are you going?" Pepper asked

"To give the government agencies back their satellites," I yelled back, smiling at myself as I imagined the freak out that Pepper was having.

My dad wondered in a few minutes after that. "All done?" he asked

"Yes, the government is back in control," I said with a sigh.

He smiled as he took a seat next to me. Max had curled up in his dog bed and was taking a nap.

"You look terrible," my dad said.

I raised an eyebrow at him but remained silent.

"You look even worse than me and I was a prisoner for three months," he continued. "I mean when was the last time you ate, slept for the entire night, hell even painted?"

"What were you expecting me to do?" I asked, hurt. "That I was going to return to my everyday life, painting and working on the arc reactor while you were being tortured, while the company with our name on it was leaderless?"

"I expected you to be a kid," my dad said.

"Then you really don't know me at all," I said. "There is no way I could even look at a paintbrush, let alone paint when you were away from me and I could do something to help."

I know that was hitting below the belt, yes our relationship was terrible to begin with but did he honestly think I would carry on like nothing ever happened? Like the one parent I had wasn't gone?

"Pepper told me you didn't want to declare me dead," he said.

"You weren't," I countered, feeling very done with this entire conversation at this point. "I knew I was going to find you and I did, declaring you dead would have been a waste of time."

"Scar," he began.

"Why are you even bringing this up?" I asked, jumping up from the chair. "It's over, it's done."

"Because it wasn't healthy," he said.

"Healthy?" I asked, my voice rising. "Healthy? Are you kidding me with this? Dad, when has anything between the two of us ever been healthy?"

"I realize that but I'm trying to change and to start I need to create some form of a stable-" he started.

"Stop." I said, my voice deadly calm, this was rehearsed, I could tell I had heard his rehearsed speeches all of my life, from business meeting to girls, but never ever had he once used it on me. "My father had been taken from me and I did everything I could do to get you back. Most parents would be happy that their kids had shown that much dedication."

I walked past him, down the hall, past Rhodey and Pepper and out the back door.

I made my way to one of my favorite places in the house, the beach.

I sat right in the perfect spot as my toes were lapped up by the water. I felt drained, defeated.

I was a ghost of something I once was. I wasn't the person my father wanted me to be, that was clear from the conversation we just had. I was lost and I had nothing to go on.

I didn't need to find my dad anymore.

I didn't need to find the mole in the company, my dad was doing it.

I didn't even have to work on the arc reactor anymore. Thanks to recent circumstances it was done, it was complete.

Every task on my list was checked off, and I didn't know where to go from here.

AN: uh-oh things didn't go as planned for both Tony or Scarlett, maybe they need to sit down and have a proper conversation...

ha, like that'll happen :P

i'm sorry that this chapter took so long to update, My beta and I had an argument/ conversation about this chapter and the next one so it took some editing time.

Tell me how smoothly/ unsmoothly you'll think that the rest of this reunion will go?

as a P.S. if you are reading my Vampire Diaries story, I want to send a quick apology, I'm taking a class this June it's called the Sociology of Monsters, and it's great, brilliant, even but it's taking up more time then I thought it would so give me another week and a half and i'll start updating that story again, I have this one entirely written and my beta gives me a chapter a week so that's why this one gets to keep updating

And a huge, huge thank you to everyone who had reviewed, I got 16!, 16 reviews for the last chapter.

Elivra Silver: I'm glad you liked the banter, i'm trying to grab clint's personality from the comics

NicoleR85: thanks for the review! I love seeing your name up here every week

TatteredAngel42: I know, giant cliffhanger shame on me ;), as for creepy doctor he is an enitrely made up character so no research :/ and i agree he is creepy!

deidaralover1234: thanks for the review!

Guest: i'm glad that you like the chapter lengths!

ShigureAyameHatoriFanClub: aw thank you! and as for SHIELD... well we'll see :)

Lady Syndra: I'm glad that you like her stark-ness and we'll just have to see about SHIELD

JJAndrews: I do like the sound of that!

MsDaHedgehog: aw thank you!

Guest: the tony/scarlett reunion was hard for me to write so i hope i do it well

Toa Aerrow: haha! i do it all the time! i'm glad that you are enjoying it!

SassyMomofGirls1: i'm glad, i wanted to keep this one different and try to walk the line between the different ones that are out there

Guest: thanks for the review!

guest: i LOVE! your analasys of Scarlett and we'll have to see ;)

Guest: i hope the tony/ scarlett stuff works for you!

The Lead Mare: thanks! I was going for tears so i'm glad that it worked!

Maddy: thanks for the review!