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❨ ∘ 𝔞𝔠𝔱 3 ∘ ❩
. . .‧₊˚ ✩ CHAPTER FIVE ✩.‧₊˚ . . .
RETURNING HOME

❛fury once again❜
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Rhodey rushes into Monaco hospital and felt as if he had deja vu from the last two times he was there. Both times for Lydia.

He nods at Happy and was talking to other guards before walking into the private waiting room and seeing Pepper pacing as Natalie was on the phone talking.

"Pepper," Rhodey calls making Pepper look at him before rushing towards him.

"I got here as soon as I could. What happened? Where's Tony?" Rhodey asks her as Pepper wipes her tears.

"He's with Lydia. They would only let him back there mostly since Tony wouldn't let her go," Pepper says as Rhodey looks even more concerned.

"There was an attack on the racetrack. Lydia got hurt and I didn't notice. None of us did till she got out and passed out in Tony's arms. So far all I know is she has a concussion and maybe a broken arm," Pepper tells him as she tries not to sob.

Rhodey looks at her sadly as Pepper sits down taking a few deep breaths.

Tony sighs as he remembers how terrified he felt in those few hours as his daughter went through test after test.

Rhodey sighs and was about to sit down when Tony opens the door coming out of the room.

"Natalie get the plane ready we are heading back tonight. And tells Happy I want no reports. Nothing around when we leave," Tony tells Natalie who nods.

"Of course Mr.Stark," Natalie tells him as she leaves the room. Pepper and Rhodey rush towards Tony who begins pacing running his hands through his hair.

"What did they say?" Rhodey asks Tony who shakes his head.

"She has a concussion and needed stitches. Her arm isn't broken just sprained and her leg is bruised," Tony tells them as he shakes his head.

"Tony," Pepper whispers worriedly.

"She got hurt," Tony says as his voice cracks slightly.

"You know I would never do anything to put my daughter in harm's way. And I did. She's hurt because of me," Tony says as he shakes his head.

"This wasn't your fault. That man attacked you and you defend yourself," Rhodey tells Tony who shakes his head.

"I made these suits to protect the one thing I can't live without. My daughter. And because of it, she could have died. If his whip had gone one inch to the right she would be dead," Tony tells Rhodey as he shakes his head.

"Cancel the expo. Everything is over. All of it," Tony tells Pepper who nods looking at him.

Everyone looks towards Tony who was shaking his head remembering the fear he felt once again. Every time his daughter got hurt he felt as if he couldn't breathe.

His heart was clenched tightly for those moments until she talked to him once again. He needed those woods she said every time.

"Mr.Stark," a nurse calls making Tony turn to her.

"Lydia's waking up I thought you would want to know," the nurse tells him as Tony gets up and rushes towards Lydia's room.

Tony enters the room right in time as Lydia opens her eyes. Tony smiles at her running his fingers through her hair.

"Hey Cuddly Bunny," Tony whispers to her as Lydia smiles at him.

"Hi, daddy. Can we have cheeseburgers now?" Lydia asks him hopefully as Tony smiles at her.

There's the sentence Tony was waiting for. Just hearing her voice let his anxiety wash away.

"Whatever you want princess," Tony tells her as kisses her forehead Lydia smiles at him starting to fall back to sleep due to the pain medicine she was given through her IV.

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A while later the group arrived back at the Stark mansion. Tony picked Lydia up and carried her to her room since she was back asleep now.

Heading her Cuddly Bunny Junior Tony tucked her in before heading downstairs.

Tony saw everyone was gone now but Natalie and someone with their back to him.

"Tony," Fury says turning around as Tony looks at Natalie wide-eyed before laughing.

"That man is everywhere!" Peggy exclaims as everyone who knew the man nods.

"Lydia knew?" Tony asks her making Natalie nod as she hands him something.

"Blackmailed me for this," Natalie tells him as she injects him with lithium dioxide to slow down the poison.

"What did she just do to me?" Tony asks touching his neck worriedly.

Natasha rolls her eyes at Tony but a slight smile on her face.

"What did we just do for you? That's lithium dioxide. It's gonna take the edge off. Lydia's idea," Fury tells him as Tony shakes his head.

Of course, it was. He wasn't even surprised about it.

"Give me a couple of boxes of that. I'll be right as rain," Tony tells them as Agent Romanoff shakes her head.

"It's not a cure, it just abates the symptoms," Agent Romanoff tells him.

"Trust me, I know. I'm good at this stuff. I've been looking for a suitable replacement for palladium. I've tried every combination, every permutation of every known element. And Lydia as well. Nothing works," Tony tells him as Fury shakes his head.

"Well, I'm here to tell you, you haven't tried them all. And Lydia knows it too give us the idea," Fury tells him as Tony looks at him.

"What do you mean I haven't tried everything? What haven't I tried? And what does Lydia know?" Tony asks as Natasha sighs. What doesn't that girl know?

"What doesn't she know?" Rhodey asks himself as many wonders the same thing.

"You know Howard said that you were the only person with the means and knowledge to finish what he started," Fury tells Tony who looks at him in slight disbelief.

"He said that?" Tony asks not believing his words.

Howard looks down at that slightly.

"What do you remember about your dad?" Fury asks Tony who leans back shaking his head.

Howard leans forward listening wanting to know.

"He was cold, he was calculating. He never told me he loved me. He never even told me he liked me, so it's a little tough for me to digest when you're telling me he said the whole future was riding on me and he's passing it down. I don't get that. You're talking about a guy whose happiest day was when he shipped me off to boarding school," Tony tells Fury with a cold expression on his face.

"I promised myself I would never be anything like him with my daughter," Tony tells Fury as he looks towards the stairs where Lydia was upstairs asleep.

Howard got up at that and walks towards Tony who gets up as well. Everyone watches the two as Howard places his hand on Tony's shoulder looking him in the eyes.

"I made many mistakes in my life Tony. My biggest is being the father I was to you," Howard tells Tony who looks into his eyes.

"And I'm proud of you Tony. You became the father I wished I was," Howard tells his son before pulling him into a hug.

Tony was sniffed before hugging his dad back tightly.

"I do love you, Tony. I always have," Howard tells Tony who tries not to cry hugging his dad tightly.

"I love you too," Tony tells his dad as Maria tries not to sob watching the scene she always wanted to see happen happening.

"That's not true," Fury tells Tony who looks at him.

"Well, then, clearly you knew my dad better than I did," Tony states looking at Fury.

"As a matter of fact, I did. He was one of the founding members of SHIELD," Fury says surprising Tony.

"What?" Tony asks wide-eyed.

"Yeah what?!" Howard asks also surprised.

"I got a two o'clock," Fury says as gets up.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. What's this?" Tony asks wide-eyed. 

"Oh yeah. I made Lydia a hot chocolate. It's on the country just needs to be warmed up when she wakes up," Fury tells Tony who looks at him in disbelief.

"You got this? Right?" Fury asks him as Tony shakes his head.

"Got what? I don't even know what I'm supposed to get," Tony asks not believing this was happening.

"Well, Lydia figured it out. I'm sure you will soon as well," Fury tells Tony who scoffs at that.

"Director we got Ivan. He's in custody," Natasha tells Fury who nods at him before looking at Tony.

"And Tony, remember, I got my eye on you," Fury tells him before he leaves as Tony just leans back beyond confused.

"Well if that wasn't vague," Rhodey says making everyone nod agreeing with him.

❀ ༄ ❀ AUTHOR NOTE ❀ ༄ ❀
Well as you can see the timeline has changed. So no expo attack or Ivan. There will just be Tony and Lydia figuring everything out and then it ends.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I love you all!  <333