"So," Dad started as we both entered his Audi, "you didn't tell Pepper I was going to pick you up, I see?" He was starting the engine, where it roared silently. I think it is amazing how an intimidating like Audi could be peaceful as sleep.

I shrugged as I struggled to pick up my walking crutches to throw them at the back of the car. Good thing, Dad closed the roof of his orange Stark 01 Audi so people won't stare at me in sympathy. (And, seriously, when your dad has a collection of Audis, you just can't remember their model because sometimes they look the same. So I learned to remember Dad's car by memorising the plate's number.)

Dad helped me putting the sticks at the back at the car carefully, not to break the sticks and scratch his car. When everything's settled, as in we both are comfortably seated, Dad sighed, looking ahead of him with his left hand on the steering wheel and right hand on the gear. But the car didn't move immediately. He looked deep in thought as he stared blankly the world beyond the glass.

"Is your mother seeing someone else?" Dad asked out of the blue. His voice was uncomprehensible, but by the look on his face, I know he was hurt. He looked afraid to hear my answer. And I assume Dad understood what I was trying to do back there.

"No," I answered confidently.

"But she looks different," Dad stated, changing to Gear 1 and slowly pushed the car to the open road before changing to Gear 2 and then quickly to Gear 3.

I looked at Dad with curiosity. "By different you mean?"

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "She didn't look happy to see me, did she? She looks like she was blaming me with everything. Now, let me tell you, she blamed me for getting insane with the robots, but not- hmm..."

Dad couldn't find any words to finish his sentence, but I understood him. "Mom didn't trust you to look after me over the Summer, for your information."

"See?" Dad winced. "I get it. Ultron was my fault, but on the bright side, Vision was born and he killed him. Now, Vision is someone as important as the others. Can't she see it?"

"Maybe she's just afraid, Dad. She's been with you too long. She's seen all the risks you've done to yourself. She's been through a lot with you, maybe now she just wanted to live like a normal family would, like, not being worried about her daughter getting kidnapped by villains or not worrying about you getting killed by your own demon."

"But that's bullshit!" Dad blurted, in which he didn't normally do in front of me. "She knows damn well we won't ever have a normal family. As long as I own all these technologies and there is Thor and weird creatures out there, we won't have a normal family."

I pressed my lips into a thin line and breathed in deeply, looking for correct words to say to my dad as he drove us to M.I.T. When I glanced at the time, it was already eight. But I doubt we're going to be late with the sport car Dad was driving. Or at least, we're going to be on time, sharp at eight thirty.

I continued to keep my mouth close, didn't know what else to say to my father. I understand their struggles because I'm facing them as well, but I didn't know how to console Dad. I knew Mom wouldn't act like that if she didn't care; and I knew Dad wouldn't believe anything I say until it's proved. So I'm out of ideas how to get them back together right now.

After long, with me gazing out the car window, enjoying myself watching the world I haven't seen since Mom and I moved, Dad called me. It was a soft call. The kind of voice that begs for your attention.

"Hey, Terri?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Beside Rhodey, you're the only I have now, honey," Dad opened up. He never forgets to tell me this since he and Mom broke up, but this time he sounded desperate.

I kept quiet, looking at Dad with curiosity and waited for whatever he was going to sa next.

He took a glance at me. "Stay with me, okay? I don't want to lose you, too," he said. Even without looking at me directly, I saw his eyes brimmed with red. His chin quivered for a second, but he stopped it by taking a deep shaky breath to calm himself down. He blinked a few times when his eyes turned glassy and pretended to look at a car behind us through the side mirror to hide his emotion.

It hurt me to see my own father in a state of vulnerable especially when there's nothing on hand that could heal him. In some ways, I know I could, but he still needs Mom. She's the reason why he lived until now. But I smiled anyway, to assure my father that he always got me when he needs me. "I'm always with you, Dad," I said.

I saw the end of Dad's lip upturn proudly. "Good, because we're about to die!" He changed to Gear 5 and drifted towards the institute with speed above 180km/h. I shrieked, as I was thrown aback to my seat.

All of a sudden, I couldn't feel my leg. My heart leapt when Dad almost got us into an accident with a big long trailer that loaded, probably, a bunch of sacks of rice, but being a good driver, he managed to get away from hitting the trailer's butt.

"I swear, Dad," I said as I gripped the handbar above my head, "if Mom knew this, I won't get to live with you again."

"That's the reason why she can't know this!" Dad simply said as he continued to drift.

~•••~

Like I expected, we arrived M.I.T on time. Eight thirty, that's the time on my watch showed. And by the time we entered the institute's big lecture hall, the seats were all occupied and the crews were ready for Tony Stark. On the stage, Dad's props were also set up. One of the tech crews clipped the microphone on Dad's suit and then talked to someone over the earphone, which I guess to tell the other crews their guest was ready. While they announced Dad's arrival and welcoming him, my father took the time with me.

"Good luck, Daddy," I wished him with a smile.

He returned my smile and bent down to hug me. He was supporting most of my body weight when he did that, afraid I would fall without the support of my sticks while I was hugging him. "Thank you, honey. I really need that." He kissed my cheek before getting up the stage.

I watched Dad on the TV they had at the back of the stage. It was like I'm at the backstage of Dad's TV interview, where I would always sit with some other crews watching him talking and making jokes. But today, I don't know why, but I believe there were no jokes coming from him.

Dad, first of all, talked about his latest invention - the glasses that read your brain and could project what you're seeing the in the past, about your memories. I was surprised with that. I knew the project about the glasses. Dad told me. But he didn't show me its function before he presented like he promised. I just thought he was afraid to let me know about his parents. As I watched him giving speeches up there and officially showing its function to the audience, now that I was seeing it live, I knew why.

But I gotta laugh with Dad's youth face. He looked so innocent, though that's not what I heard from my school friends. I knew their parents knew more about my dad, but whatever happened in the past, I'm still the best thing he'd ever have so I don't want to think about the past.

Then, Dad talked about future technologies that only M.I.T students - including Dad, of course - understood. I love techonolgies, but didn't know as deep as them. Then Dad said something about taxes and funds, in which I'm too young to understand college thingies. But that only burn my spirit in studying more that I suddenly felt guilty for skipping school too much.

After awhile, Dad finally finished his speeches. Mom was supposed to be here, I heard one of the guys said, but she cancelled it on the last minute. Moody, he turned and retreated backstage and met me where I was lounging. Some crews who were with me stood up, walking away, giving enough space for the both of us.

"How come you never told me you're going to present that glasses today?" I was quite hurt when he used it but not after telling me about it. I mean, he told me he'll ring me when it's finished, but towards the end, he didn't even bother to let me know.

As he stood in front of me, Dad gave me a cheeky smile as if he'd just caught red handed. "Just wanted to surprise you," he said as if it wasn't a big deal.

"That's totally not the kind of surprise I wanted," I told him, sulking.

Dad couldn't help but to laugh at my sulking face, amused teasing me. Meanwhile, I turned around on one heel to get my walking sticks when I heard Dad's phone ringing. With his transparent phone, I could see what's written in the message and from whom, but I pretended not seeing anything, knowing Dad would explain to me about it later.

With the sticks under my armpits, I looked at Dad and asked, "Who was it?"

Dad didn't answer my question. He just sighed and asked me to follow him. Confused, I had to ask him where, and he only said to the men's room. I thought he was serious, but when he looked around and eyed every man and woman around us, I knew it was only some kind of a secret code. So when he began walking, I followed him, hopping along a cold corridor. Fluorescent lights lining up above our head, flickering to live.

Not far from us, I saw a woman only about my height standing facing the wall - or if it was a lift, I wasn't so sure. She had dark skin, wearing a dress and skirt that stopped below her knees. She was staring blankly on the wall - or an elevator - in front of her, holding a purse.

     I started to get suspicious. Who is that woman? I wondered. Is Dad meeting her? I watched her with a frown on my forehead until at one point, Dad asked me to stop.

     "Stay here," he told me and I didn't protest. I nodded, leaning my back against the cold wall - so glad I was wearing a jacket - but my arms still supporting my weak right leg.

     I watched Dad talking to the woman in a whisper as if he was afraid anyone would overhear him. He looked tense and when Dad's tensing, he was alarmed at every angle of the place he was standing in. I watched until Dad stopped the woman from taking out something from her purse. His grip was tight; he was going to hurt that woman. I was keen to know what happens next when my phone in my pocket rang.

     I took it out, groaning discreetly, mad at whoever sending the text message. I could ignore it if I knew it was only my friend, but I was afraid it was Mom who was sending me the text message. If it was Mom and I didn't reply her text a second after I received it, she will call and nag.

     I looked at the sender on my lock screen, only to see it was from one of my friends, Tessa. I shook my head, telling her mentally that I'd reply her text later while shoving my phone back into my jeans, wanting to see Dad and the woman. But as I was doing so, I saw a shadow towering me.

     "Come on, Terri," he said. His face was broken than ever. "We're done here."

     With that, we left.