The driver parked the car in front of the Stark's bright Malibu house and Tony's face lit up. "Home sweet home," he said as he exited the vehicle. This home was vastly different from the place where he was kept. Seeing it in person once again flooded his brain with fond memories instead of the horrors that haunted him.

Mira wasn't as quick to leave the car. Instead, her eyes gazed at the oceanside home with dread, knowing she would have to explain her last few months to Tony once inside. With all the joy she witnessed on his face, she didn't want to be so quick to take it all away and replace it with worry.

Her door opened by another's hands. Tony stood outside, looking down at his niece. "Come on, kiddo. What are you waiting for? You didn't do anything to my house did you?"

He reached out his good hand and Mira took it reluctantly, not wanting to physically harm him anymore than he was. She tried to be gentle and hold back her strength. Tony would have noticed it immediately and the questions would have started flowing in. Instead, she put on a fake, excited smile, swung her legs around and stood up from the vehicle. "Nope. Everything is exactly as you left it."

The two of them walked together to the front entrance. "Well, that's boring. I think it might be time for a remodel."

"Let's wait on that for now. You just got back."

"All the more reason. I'm a new man, Mirabell. A new man should have a new house. I could have your room remodeled. Get you a new mattress, dresser, anything. Or maybe we could do your office. I could start designing a new desk. One that has the computer built right in. It wouldn't be too hard actually now that I think about it. I really want a challenge. What do you say, kiddo? Got any ideas?"

Mira's shoulders tensed and she ignored everything he said about remodeling the house. "New man, huh?"

"Yeah, well. Four months in hell tends to change a person." He raised an eyebrow as he stared at his niece. "Mira?"

"What?"

Tony pointed to the door. "Wanna get that? You know, I would and everything except I don't exactly have my keys on me."

"Oh, yeah. Right. Sorry." Mira fumbled around with her dress pockets, trying to feel for her key. It was hidden deep in the right side pocket. Her hands had trouble grasping the knob long enough to place the key inside the hole to twist it, but she managed to do so. She stepped inside first. "Jarvis, we're home," she called.

The automated voice sounded above them. "Hello, Ms. Stark. Welcome home, Mr. Stark."

Tony grinned. "Jarvis, nice to see you, or hear you, I should say."

"I'm happy to hear your voice as well, Sir, even though I have various recordings of it."

"Oh good. Still programmed with the sass, just the way I like it. Never change, Jarvis."

"I can only change if you program me to, Sir."

Tony took a quick walk around his home, not speaking to Mira. He was too fascinated with the sight of his home. He stopped at the window that overlooked the water and watched the waves crash against the cliff in silence.

Mira's phone went off in her hand. She looked down at the name - Pepper. She hit ignore and promptly turned her phone off, not wanting to be disturbed further.

"You never used to do that," Tony said, not facing the young woman.

"Do what?"

"Ignore phone calls."

"Well, is it such a crime to want to spend time with my uncle that was presumed dead for four months?"

He placed his arms behind his back and finally faced Mira. "Ever since I got back, you've received one phone call and that was just now. Your phone was always erupting from calls about the foundation and other things like interviews, publicity stunts, stuff about me, even Mark's girlfriend having wedding issues. You took every single call no matter what you were doing."

Mira stretched the truth. "I delegated to Mark for awhile. Is that such a bad thing?"

"No, not really, but it's not like you. Is everything okay, kiddo?"

She immediately shrugged. "I'm fine."

Tony took a couple steps toward her with suspicion in his eyes. "See, that's what Pepper said when I asked her how you were doing. The funny thing about me raising you basically your whole life is I can tell when you're not being honest with me. For example, I can tell you're not fine because you didn't object to me calling you kiddo, something you've hated ever since you were a kid. You didn't even get mad at me for using your full first name, Mirabell. Now, I would like a real answer this time. Is everything okay?"

Thinking of a fast lie, Mira stepped forward and placed her hand on Tony's shoulder. "Uncle Tony, I assure you I'm fine. I mean, yeah, it sucked that you weren't here and they didn't know where you were, but I managed."

"No episodes?"

Her hand dropped. "No episodes."

Tony's head tilted in disbelief. "Not a single one in four months?"

"The last one I had was the night of the award ceremony."

Finally accepting her words, Tony nodded. "That's good. You know, I worried everyday about what was going on with you. I thought that your episodes would be back and even worse since I wasn't there. Guess I was wrong. I'm glad you might be finally outgrowing this."

"Yup." Wanting nothing more than to avert the subject from her, Mira decided to turn the tables on Tony. "How are you doing? And don't give me the 'I'm doing great' excuse. That works when you have a hangover, not when you returned from the grave."

"Well, I guess I have to come up with something else. How about 'I'm doing fantastic.' Does that suffice?"

"No. Unfortunately, you have to come up with something better than that. Like, I don't know, the truth."

Knowing she wasn't going to back off until he got serious, Tony removed his trademark glasses from his face. His eyes held fear and pain from what they saw. "You don't really need to know the full details of what happened to me over there."

"Then give me a summary."

"You don't need to hear that either."

"Well, I need to hear something because you just halted production on the main money maker for your company. Now, I know everyone's going to be pissed, but I don't care. I just want to know why."

"You begged me for years to shut down the weapons. Now, I actually do and you're complaining?"

"I'm not complaining. Like you said, I spent years asking you to stop this, but you didn't. Then, you come back and suddenly it's a good idea. Something happened, Tony."

The volume of his voice increased. "Mira, I don't exactly want to talk about it right now."

"You're going to have to talk about it eventually because keeping it built up like that isn't healthy."

"You're one to talk."

"I wasn't the one nearly killed and held captive for months on end. When you did finally come back, you hold a press conference instead of going to the hospital." Mira took a deep breath, trying not to let her anger overtake her. "Please stop acting like everything's okay. You don't have to tell me everything. Just stop pretending around me. That's all I'm asking."

Tony was at a loss for words. He knew that she was right and he couldn't hide forever. "Well, I guess I should show you sooner rather than later. I was hoping to wait, but I guess it'll be best if you found out from me." Before Mira could question him, Tony started unbuttoning his shirt. As he parted the fabric revealing the top part of his chest, a small glimmer of blue tinted white light glowed.

The bright light caught Mira's attention instantly. She placed her hand on the metal object, feeling the buzz that came from the device. "What the hell?"

"It's an arc-"

She cut him off. "I know what it is. Why is it in your chest and how did you manage to make one this small?"

He pulled back and began to button his shirt. "I can tell you it wasn't easy, but I had a helper. When we were attacked, I jumped out of the car and ducked behind a rock for shelter. A bomb was dropped right next to me. It had the Stark Industry logo on it. It blew before I had a chance to ran away. Some shrapnel lodged itself in my chest. This keeps it from getting to my heart."

"So the arc reactor is keeping you alive? That's why you stopped production on the weapons. They almost killed you."

"That's right."

"Did you tell anyone else about this?"

"Just Rhodes and Pepper."

"Are you going to tell Obadiah?"

"Yeah if someone hasn't already told him. News travels fast in this town."

Mira stood in awe. Her eyes never left her uncle's chest even after his shirt was closed. "Do you have any idea what this technology means?"

"It means it's the beginning of a new day."

"Well, that was creepily ominous."

"I'm a showman, Mira. It has to be ominous. That way you're pleasantly surprised."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

Tony started walking back to the door. "It's not supposed to, kiddo."

"Where are you going now?" she called to him.

"I'm going to visit the old Stark lab."

"Do you want company?"

"No, you stay home. You had a long day." The door slammed behind him and before Mira even took a step, tires could be heard squealing from the outside. Mr. Tony Stark had left the building.