. . .‧₊˚ ✩ CHAPTER FOUR ⁺◟༉ . . .
❨ ∘ 𝔞𝔠𝔱 𝔦𝔦 ∘ ❩
PRESS CONFERENCE
❛proud❜

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Lydia pulls back from her dad and looks at him worriedly seeing the cuts on his face, bruises, and his arm in a sling.

"Daddy are you okay?" Lydia asks him worriedly as Tony smiles at her kissing her forehand.

"Right now with you I am," Tony tells Lydia who smiles at him brightly.

"Watch it, coming up here," Rhodey says as the medical officers approach with a stretcher, however, Tony quickly shakes his head.

"Are you kidding me with this? Get rid of them," Tony says as he gets up and picks Lydia up with one arm holding her close to him.

Tony smiles remembering how neither would let the other out of the other's site for a while after that.

The two head toward Pepper who was standing with slightly red eyes.

"Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss?" Tony asks her as Lydia smirks at the two.

"Oh no. That's her I'm planning something smirk," Rhodey says making everyone who has seen that smirk nod. It usually didn't end that well for them not her though.

"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting," Pepper tells him smiling at Tony who nods.

"Yeah, vacation's over," Tony tells pepper as Lydia shakes her head.

"I didn't like this vacation," Lydia tells Tony hugging him tightly as Tony kisses her forehead.

"I know cuddly bunny," Tony says as they make their way to their car. Happy was waiting next to the door with a relieved smile on his face as he shook Tony's hand.

"Welcome home, sir," Happy says making Tony smile at them before looking toward Lydia.

"It's good to be home," Tony says as he got in the car. Happy sat in the driver's seat. Once seated he looked at his rearview mirror, smiling at the sight.

Lydia was sitting on Tony's lap hugging him tightly not wanting to let go as Tony rests his chin on the top of her head.

"Where to, sir?" Happy asks Tony but before Tony could answer Pepper does. 

"Take us to the hospital, please, Happy," Pepper says making Tony immediately shake his head.

"No," Tony tells her making Pepper sigh.

"What is with you Stark and hospitals?" Peggy asks annoyed making many nods as Howard and Tony shrug.

" No? Tony, you have to go to the hospital," Pepper tells him worriedly as Lydia looks at her father and nods. 

"Peppie's right dad. You're hurt you have to go to the doctor," Lydia tells him worriedly as Tony looks at his daughter and her soft and sad eyes. He never could resist those deep brown eyes.

"Like I said they are evil at times!" Tony mumbles annoyed as he sighs. 

"I'm not hurt, Princess. I'm fine," Tony says as Lydia gives him a look that said she didn't believe him.

"Or I will be, once I've eaten a cheeseburger," Tony says as he begins to tickle Lydia who laughs as she tries to get away from him.

Tony laughs as he pulls Lydia into a tight hug before looking at Pepper who did not seem impressed in the slightest.

"And I want you to call for a press conference now," Tony tells Pepper making her confused.

"Why?" Maria asks her son worriedly as Tony just looks towards the screen. He didn't know how his parents would feel about what he did but he did it for the right reason and wouldn't regret it.

"Call for a press conference?" Pepper asks him confused as Lydia look at her dad.

"Yeah," Tony says as he nods before looking toward Lydia with a soft smile.

"What on earth for?" Pepper asks him confused.

"Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first," Tony tells Pepper who sighs but nods.

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The group ended up at Burger King. Tony ordered six cheeseburgers for himself and three for Lydia with no mustard knowing she absolutely despised it.

"Eat Princess," Tony tells Lydia who looks at the cheeseburger before looking at it and taking a bite making Tony smile.

Pepper and Happy watched the two and smile seeing Lydia eating.

"I don't think I've ever been so happy watching someone eat," Pepper says as she smiles at the screen.

Soon Happy pulls the car up to the front of Stark Industries.

Tony looks out the window to see reporters all waiting for him as the news had spread rapidly.

Tony looks towards Pepper who nods picking Lydia up to hide her from the reporters as they step out of the car.

Once out and the three had walked through the reporters they see Obadiah standing there making Lydia roll her eyes glaring at the man.

Obadiah tries to put his hand on top of her head making Lydia move closer to Pepper trying to get away from him.

"Can't he see he makes her uncomfortable?" Ana asks annoyed making many other people nod agreeing. 

"Look at this! Tony. We were going to meet at the hospital," Obadiah says as Tony shakes his head.

"No, I'm fine," Tony tells the older man.

"Look at you! You had to have a burger, yeah?" Obadiah questions as Tony nods holding his cheeseburger as Lydia eats her last one. 

"Well, come on," Tony says walking into the building as Lydia gets down walking towards her dad.

"You get me one of those?" Obadiah asks Tony looking in the bag.

"He did not just ask that?" Jarvis questions as many nods not believing someone would ask that as Tony and Pepper try not to laugh at what was about to happen.

"No daddy needs. And I don't think you need it at all," Lydia says looking the man up and down disgusted before pulling her dad away from Obadiah.

It was quiet for a moment before Clint begins laughing making everyone else laugh.

"Come on Princess," Tony says trying not to laugh as they walk into the press conference.

"Here stay with Pepper," Tony tells Lydia as he kisses her forehead. The blonde hesitates but nods as she stands with Pepper who holds the girl's hand tightly.

Maria smiles at the woman. She was happy that her granddaughter had a female role model in her that.

She knew that Tony was an amazing dad but was still a little girl that needed someone to talk to about things she couldn't with her dad.

"Miss Potts?" A man questions making Pepper turn to see a man dressed in a suit approaching her and Lydia.

The avenges look down seeing the fallen Argent beside Clint and Natasha who knew the truth.

Pepper moves Lydia to the other side of her before looking at the man questionable.

"Yes?" Pepper asks but her main focus was between Lydia and the conference.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" The man asks her as Lydia smiles waving at him making the argent smile back at her.

"I'm not part of the press conference, but it's about to begin right now," Pepper tells him as she turns to look at the man.

"He's not a reporter," Lydia mutters as she looks at the man who had something etched into his jacket's breast pocket that Lydia did not know and he didn't hold himself like a reporter. More like an argent.

"She's good," Peggy mutters seeing how Lydia caught onto the hints making Tony nod as Natasha sighs. Too good.

"I'm not a reporter. I'm Agent Phil Coulson, with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," Phil tells them making Lydia look wide-eyed.

Peggy pauses recognizing the name. She was trying to start an agency by that name.

"That's way too many names. You need to change it. Maybe change it to an acronym," Lydia says with a shrug making Phil smile at her.

"I'll tell my boss that," Phil tells the girl with a smile making Lydia smile brightly at him.

"Wait so Lydia is the one who gave Fury the idea?!" Clint yells making the group pause before laughing.

"Why are we surprised?" Clint asks making the avengers shrug.

"Who knows? Everyone knows if Fury had to pick one of us he would pick Lydia," Natasha says making them nod.

"You know she calls him Papa Fury know. I think I even saw Fury smile when she said it," Tony says making them look wide-eyed at him.

"I agree. That is quite a mouthful," Pepper comments as she reaches for the card the agent was handing her.

"We're working on it." Agent Coulson says as he nods in acknowledgment.

Placing the card in her suit pocket, Pepper turns her focus back to the press conference - it seemed to be running smoothly and although Tony was currently sitting on the floor eating his fourth cheeseburger.

"You just sat on the ground?" Maria asks her son who nods.

You know, we've been approached already by the DOD, the FBI...," Pepper lists as Lydia nods.

"Oh and don't forget the CIA," Lydia reminds Pepper who smiles at her nodding.

"Wait really?!" Steve asks but Tony doesn't look at him making Steve sigh c

"We're a separate division with a more specific focus. We need to debrief Mr. Stark about the circumstances of his escape," Argent Phil tells her making Pepper sigh but nod at the man.

"I'll put something in the book, shall I?" Pepper asks him making Argent Phil nod.

"Thank you," Agent Phil says as he nods before looking down at Lydia and giving her a small but genuine smile.

"Miss Stark," Argent Phil says making Lydia smile and wave at him.

"Bye Mr.Argent Man!" Lydia says waving with a bright smile making Phil chuckle as he walks away.

Lydia then turns back to her attention back to the conference and looks at her dad confused seeing him on the ground before shrugging.

"She's used to your antics," Rhodey tells Tony who rolls his eyes but nods knowing he was right.

"I never got to say goodbye to Dad. I never got to say goodbye to my father," Tony tells the crowd as Lydia looks at him sadly before taking a bite of her cheeseburger.

"What happened to us?" Maria asks her son making Bucky tense up as Steve looks towards his best friend worriedly.

"Murdered," Tony answers his mother with an emotionless expression but everyone could see the hurt and pain in his eyes.

"There's questions that I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts," Tony says towards the crowd making them confused.

"Many. Many times. I even tried to change the company but didn't know what to change it to," Howard tells his son who looks at him wide-eyed before nodding.

"Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels," Tony says as Lydia looks towards Pepper confused.

Howard looks down at that as Maria squeezes his hand.

"I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. To protect my daughter," Tony says as if he was back there before smiling at his daughter who smiles back at him.

"And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability," Tony tells them as he looks at everyone.

"That's not true," Steve says making Tony scoff.

"Yes, it is," Tony tells him as many nods agreeing with Tony.

"Mr. Stark!" One of the reporters calls out.

"Hey, Ben," Tony says looking at the reporter.

"What happened over there?" Ben asks Tony who pairs for a minute as Lydia looks at her dad worriedly.

"I had my eyes opened," Tony says as he stands and moves behind the podium.

"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 of Stark International," Tony announces as everyone stands up in commotion Lydia smile proudly at her dad, and Pepper looks stunned.

Maria and Howard look at their son and Howard nod with a proud smile on his face making Tony nod at him.

"Until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be," Tony finishes as Obadiah rushes towards the stage.

"I think we're gonna be selling a lot of newspapers," Obadiah says as he stands up beside Tony.

"What direction it should take, one that I'm comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good for this country, as well. One I would be proud to leave my daughter," Tony says as he leaves the stage.

Tony heads to Lydia and grabs her hand making Lydia smile brightly at him.

"I'm proud of you daddy," Lydia tells him making Tony kiss her forehead as they walk out of the press conference.

Tony smiles at that. He knew even if no one else believed him Lydia always would. Just like he would.

"What we should take away from this is that Tony's back! And he's healthier than ever. We're going to have a little internal discussion and we'll get back to you with the follow-up," Obadiah says before rushing off the stage.

"Well that was probably a PR nightmare," Peggy announces making Pepper nod.

"You have no idea," Pepper tells her glaring at Tony who winks at her with a cheeky smile.

❀ ༄ ❀ AUTHOR NOTE ❀ ༄ ❀
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I love you all! <333