. . .‧₊˚ ✩ CHAPTER ONE ⁺◟༉ . . .ꜜ
❨ ∘ 𝔞𝔠𝔱 𝔦𝔦 ∘ ❩
THE DELAYED TEA PARTY
❛before you know it❜

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Iron One is displayed on the screen making Tony tense as he looks at Strange.

"Just Lydia's side will be shown at the beginning until your return," Strange tells Tony who nods watching the screen making many confused besides the three who knew what the unasked question was.

Tony dressed in a suit smiles as he walks up the stairs with a hot chocolate in his hands. It was past midnight as he chuckles opening his daughter's door.

"Why?" Maria asks her son who smiles at the screen.

"It's there the two traditions. Anytime Tony comes back from a meeting during the night he goes to Lydia's room as they drink a hot chocolate," Pepper tells the woman who smiles at that nodding.

Tony walks in and squats beside Lydia as he kisses her forehead shaking his head.

"You know you should be asleep," Tony tells his daughter who smiles sheepishly with an innocent look in her eyes as she opens her eyes.

"How did you know?" Lydia asks her dad who laughs at her.

"I'm your dad I always know," Tony tells her as he hands Lydia her hot chocolate making her smile as she sits up.

"Movie?" Lydia asks hopefully making Tony nod as he picks her up.

"Let me guess Tangled?" Tony asks Lydia who nods excitedly making Tony laugh as he walks towards his room.

Laying Lydia in the giant bed Tony went to go change out of his suit and into a t-shirt with joggers before laying down with Lydia who already had the movie on.

Lydia cuddles into Tony who kisses her forehead as the two begin to watch the movie.

Not even thirty minutes in Tony feels Lydia's head fall onto his chest as she falls asleep making him smile as he grabs the now empty cup and carefully puts it on the nightstand before having J.A.R.I.S turn off the movie as he falls asleep as well.

Tony smiles at the memory but he knew what was going to happen soon. Happy, Pepper, and Rhodey share a look knowing as well.

They didn't tell Tony exactly what happened when he disappeared regarding Lydia. He already felt guilty they didn't want to add to it, but he was about to see what happened during those three months.

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"But I don't want you to go," Lydia tells her dad with puppy dog eyes hoping he would stay if she use them. He usually does.

"Those things are evil," Tony pouts to his daughter making many nods and laughing.

"That is true. Her using them can make anyone feel bad and do exactly what she wants," Steve says as he thinks about the times Lydia use them on him.

"They even work on Fury," Natasha tells the group who looks at her surprised making her shrug.

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

"Lady Stark! Is so cute but so mean at times," Thor shouts making many laugh as they nod. She was definitely Tony's daughter.

Tony sighs looking at his daughter who pouts her lip out.

"Lyds it's not my fault. Blame Uncle Rhodey," Tony tells her making Lydia huff as she crosses her arms.

"Wow, thanks, Tony!" Rhodey tells him making Tony smile as he pats his shoulder.

"Anytime," Tony tells him making Rhodey roll his eyes.

"But how about this," Tony says making Lydia raise an eyebrow at him as if to say I'm listening.

"I should be back tomorrow and we can have a tea party," Tony offers as Lydia looks at him.

"With?" Lydia asks him making Tony chuckle.

Many laughed at the interaction but none were surprised.

"Cheeseburgers," Tony says making Lydia nod.
"Macaroons. I'll have your favorite from Pierre Hermé delivered," Tony says as today begins to smile.

"Also peonies your favorite flowers," Tony tells Lydia who nods.

"And don't tell Pepper with decaf iced caramel latte," Tony finishes making Lydia smile as she sticks her hand out.

Pepper glares at Tony for starting Lydia so young on his coffee addiction but he just smiles at her.

"Then we have a deal daddy," Lydia tells him Tony smiles at her.

"Perfect princess," Tony tells her as he shakes her head before pulling her into a tight hug.

"I love you cuddly bunny," Tony tells her making Lydia hug hung tightly.

"I love you too daddy. I'll see you soon," Lydia tells him making Tony nod.

"I'll be back before you know it," Tony tells her kissing her forehead.

Tony looks down knowing that was a lie. He wouldn't see her for three months.

Pepper comes in smiling at the two with a soft look in her eyes.

"Tony, Happy's waiting for you," Pepper tells Tony who nods kissing Lydia's forehead once more before grabbing his jacket and sunglasses before leaving.

Lydia waves at him as she clutches her teddy bear Tony looks at Pepper.

"Don't worry she'll be safe with me," Pepper tells Tony who nods smiling at her before waving at Lydia and leaving.

Pepper walks towards Lydia and picks her up making Lydia hug her tightly.

"So I'm thinking Chinese for dinner what do you think?" Pepper asks Lydia who smiles brightly.

"Thought you would like that. And of course, the little mermaid to watch," Pepper tells Lydia as she tickles her making Lydia laugh as Pepper smiles at her.

"I shouldn't have gone," Tony mutters making many looks at him worried but Tony shakes his head. Yes, Iron Man was born but his daughter had PTSD and separation anxiety afterward.

Iron Man wasn't as important as his daughter. She was his life. He could lose everything but not her. Never her.

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In the middle of a desert in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. A convoy drives through the desert playing "Back in Black" by AC/DC.

In the armored car where Tony is, he and the soldiers are quiet as Tony smiles down at his phone that had a picture of Lydia on it hugging her stuffed bunny tightly as she smiles at him.

"That is such an adorable picture," Ana says making Tony smile as he nods.

"Should be. I don't think anyone has as many pictures of Lydia then Tony," Rhodey says laughing making Strange smirk.

He knew one Spider-Man who had albums of the girl in the favorite. Lydia asleep. Lydia smiling. Lydia and him. Lydia doing anything he thought was adorable.

That might have been a reason why he did this. For after Lydia's death. Peter went down a dark road and everything falls apart for him.

"I feel like you're driving me to a court-martial. This is crazy. What did I do? I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff me. What, you're not allowed to talk? Hey, Forrest!" Tony says with a smile as he leans back.

Steve shakes his head at Tony but doesn't say anything knowing it wouldn't end well if he did.

"We can talk, sir," the soldier tells him.
"Oh, I see. So it's personal?" Tony asks them.

"No, you intimidate them," a female soldier who is driving the vehicle answers making Tony look at her surprised.

"Good Gosh, you're a woman. I honestly... I couldn't have called that. I mean, I'd apologize, but isn't that what we're going for here? I thought of you as a soldier first," Tony says towards the woman.

Rhodey and Pepper shake their heads at the man who just shrugs. He didn't see anything wrong with that he said.

"I'm an airman," the woman corrects him.

"Well, you have, actually, excellent bone structure, there. I'm kind of having a hard time not looking at you now. Is that weird?" Tony asks making the Soldiers in the vehicle laugh and chuckle.

"Come on, it's okay, laugh," Tony encourages them laughing himself.

"Sir, I have a question to ask," one of the soldiers says making Tony turn to him.

"Yes, please," Tony tells him making the man smile at him.

"Is it cool if I take a picture with you?" He asks making Tony nod.

"Yes. It's very cool," Tony tells him as the soldier next to him pulls his camera out and hands it to the soldier in the front seat.

"I don't want to see this on your MySpace page," Tony tells him as the Soldier puts up a peace sign for the photo.

"Please, no gang signs. No, throw it up. I'm kidding. Yeah, peace. I love peace. I'd be out of a job with peace," Tony tells him smiling.

Tony sighs at that. He shouldn't have said that many things change for the man after his abduction. And after his daughter. He wanted to leave the world safer for her but in the end, he just put her in more danger.

"Come on. Hurry up. Just click it. Don't change any settings. Just click it," the soldier says as the picture was about to be taken, something hits and blew up the vehicle in front of them. Gunshots and such were heard and hitting the side of their vehicle.

Tony closes his eyes as many look wide-eyed worriedly.

"What's going on?" Tony asks panicked.

"Contact left!" The female shoulder calls out.

"What have we got?" Tony asks trying to remain calm but inside her was behind scared and worried. The driver stepped out to go into combat and was shot down.

"Jimmy, stay with Stark!" One of the soldiers yells at him.

"Stay down!" Jimmy instructs Tony who nods.

"Yeah," Tony says as fuse other Soldier from the front seat got out to shoot but was shot too.

"Son of a bitch!" Jimmy yells as he goes out to fight.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Give me a gun!" Tony tells the soldier.

"Stay here!" Jimmy tells him as he turns back around and he was gunned down too, holes piercing the vehicle.

Tony's hearing and senses were dulled a bit as he got himself out of the vehicle, stumbling a bit in the chaos. He got some of his hearing back and ran and dove behind a rock for cover.

He pulled out his phone to contact and call for help when a bomb landed next to him. He looked over to see it say: Stark Industries.

Howard looks wide-eyed at that. One of his weapons was going to kill his son.

"Why wasn't this in your file?" Steve asks as Tony just stares emotionless at the screen.

"I hacked into SHEILD and deleted it. It was my life no one else needed to know about it," Tony answers without looking at everyone.

Tony tries to get up and get away but didn't in time. The bomb exploded and made him fly through the air a bit.

"Whoa!" Tony yells as he hits the ground hard his senses dulled again. He felt a pain in his chest and pulled his shirt of out the way as blood started to pool.

His vision keeps going in and out but the only thing going through his mind was Lydia.

The first time he held her. Her first laugh. Smile. Every memory he had with her until he went unconscious.

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Meanwhile back at the Stark Mansion Lydia was smiling as she finishes setting up the last bit of food for the tea party.

As she sits down beside her bunny waiting for her dad to come home with a smile on her face not knowing they he wouldn't be back for three months.

The worst three months of Lydia Maria Stark's life.

Tony looks down at that feeling his heartbreak seeing his daughter waiting for him.

Everyone felt their heartbreak for the little girl. She was only eight years old when this happened. Just a kid.

Happy and Pepper share a look they remembered those three months. They were heartbreaking and just trouble. Not just for Lydia but for them as well.

❀ ༄ ❀ AUTHOR NOTE ❀ ༄ ❀
And Iron Man one begins.

So I won't be showing Tony's kidnapping because that's Tony's trauma. This is about Lydia and her trauma.

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