Hermione's chest heaves up and down as she lays on the hospital bed. Tony let out a sigh of relief by every second that pass when his ears catch up the sound of Hermione's gentle heart rate on the monitor. The girl doesn't know he's there, but it's okay for Tony because he wants to be there. He wants to be with Hermione like he used to be. He wants to be the first person Hermione sees when she wakes up.

Tony had slept there last night, being with Hermione all night long. He didn't care if anyone says that he's changed and melting over a girl when he's not supposed to because it's not his character they know at all, but the truth is, whatever actions he acts in front of Hermione is him. He smiles in front of Hermione. He cares more than the value of a gold with Hermione. He doesn't afraid to show the love he has on Hermione.

Seeing his daughter there in front of his eyes, he couldn't be more grateful. The gentle heart rate reliefs him the most. The peaceful look on her face reminds him back to the woman he fell in love back then -- the woman he saw every morning when he wakes up. They both look familiar. They look like they're sisters. Maybe because of that Tony and Hermione becomes close.

Tony watches her daughter sleeping. By now, he thinks he doesn't care if Helen wants to be called Hermione. He accepts it with all his heart if that makes Helen happy. Plus, the name Hermione is not bad. It sounds so feminine yet so strong. So much like the girl herself.

The owner of Stark Industries doesn't know for how long has he been staring at Hermione that he forgets to even blink his eyes. He comes back to reality when Hermione stirs in her bed, moaning before she slowly opens her eyes. Tony was afraid that she begins screaming when she realises she's somewhere unknown, but to Tony's surprise she didn't. For a few seconds, her eyes look up around the room with a question look. Few seconds after that she looks like she realises something.

"Good morning, honey," Tony greets softly as he looks at Hermione with a loving look.

Hermione, who for a second didn't notice Tony was there, jerks head towards Tony. "What are you doing here?" she asks coldly. Her eyes have a glint of animous as she looks at Tony.

The man only smiles. "Do you want some breakfast?" he asks, but receives no respond from Hermione. Tony presses her lips into a thin line and nods to himself. "I'll get you some breakfast," he mutters. After a few moments, he stands up and head for the door.

Back at the bed, Hermione watches her father leaving the room still with a glare. She remembers what happened to the Villa and she knows can't forgive him.

~

Hermione watches a tray of tasty breskfast meal is put on her laps. It's got bacons, toasted bread, baked beans and an apple. A carton of milk is also there.

Her heart melts looking at a particular breakfast meal. No, not the bread or bacon or backed beans. The milk. It's her favourite drink to drink the morning and before bed. Ahe feels like crying knowing that Tony still remembers her favousite drink -- or if it's the common brakfast they eat here, she doesn't know -- but she's touched.

As she begins eating her breakfast, she keeps her head down to avoid show Tony her watery eyes. Yes, she wants to cry. But she can't. Yet...

"So, Hermione," Tony calls as he leans closer to her daughter.

The girl shuts her eyes and takes a deep calming breath. Although she's now prefer Hermione but it's still odd to hear Tony calling him that name.

And she feels her heart stops, for listening to her dad calling her Hermione not Helen, her real name. She feels like Tony is persuading her into something. Whatever it is, she won't melt so soon.

"How are feeling? Are you okay?" He has to ask although he knows she doesn't. Hermione is his daughter, though. He knows the look on her face.

The girl didn't reply Tony's question.

"Okay..." Tony trails off in awkwardness. "How's the breakfast?"

Tony tries another trick.

"Sorry we didn't have your favourite milk here. They try to cut down the expenses but at least I got you a milk, right? I know you love it."

Hermione continues to keep quiet as she finishes up her breakfast, although she wants to tell Tony that she doesn't care about the milk as long as he got one for her.

Tony sighs as he leans back to his chair. He shakes his leg up and down, tapping his finger on Hermione's bed in anxious, thinking what else to ask.

"D-Do you want more breakfast?" Tony asks when he notices how fast Hermione finishes her meal. "We've got plenty."

Hermione pushes the tray further from her laps and open up the milk. She shakes her head. "No," she answers shortly is a low, raspy voice.

Tony nods his head understood. "Okay," he says as he takes the tray and put it on the table attached to the bed.

Then he sits back on his chair.

"How are you feeling?" he asks again, leaning forward, wanting to check Hermione's temperature on her forehead but she quickly pulls her head back and parries Tony's hand away.

"Don't touch me," she spontaneously says while glaring at Tony.

The father's heart breaks. His face falls and the hurt and disappointment are obvious showing on his feature. "Sorry," he mutters in embarrassement. Slowly, he takes his seat back.

Hermione watches her father guiltily. There's something inside her wants to jump to him and hug him tightly. "Sorry," she apologises back. "I didn't mean to..."

"Nope, it's okay." Tony shakes his head. "It's my fault. I shouldn't touch you and pretend like everything's normal."

Hermione can only rolls her eyes with Tony's statement. She throws herself back to bed and pulls the cover up to her chest. Her back is facing Tony.

"Going back to sleep?" Tony enquires in confusion. But like previously, Hermione keeps quiet.

Tony watches Hermione's body falling and rising, for a moment he thought it sounds different in the room. Not that becomes noisier but it becomes quieter. He thought it was only her ears but as he focuses on what's missing, he realises that the heart monitor is not functioning. It's not beeping to Hermione's heart rate and it's not even glowing.

He stares at the blank monitor. "Did you take off your-"

Before Tony even finishes her question, Hermione lifts up to wires with small patches at the tip of the wires.

"What?" Tony gasps in shock. "How did you do that?" he asks, half in surprise and half in curiosity. She didn't go to a medical class, did she? Tony wonders.

"I just took it off," Hermione answers, for the first time calmly although her voice was flat. "What's so wrong about it?"

"The doctors will wonder," Tony replies back.

Hermione shrugs. "Well I am fine," she says. "You see it yourself."

Tony stares at Hermione's side face, didn't know what to reply. He doesn't know what to feel even. Is he supposed to feel happy that Hermione is talking to him? Is he supposed to feel scared because Hermione took off the wire on her chest that something bad may happen to her? He's definitely confused with himself.

He stares at Hermione for long. Again. He loves to do that to Hermione ever since she was a child. Even though she's angry or not in a mood, there's a spark on her face that makes Tony addicted to it. Not in a bad way but in a good way. She looks beautiful like a princess. And he has always adore his own daughter for being one. He cannot ask for more.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione's question breaks his train of thoughts.

"Err..." Tony doesn't know how to explain.

"If you don't have anything to say, you might as well just leave the room because I really want to be alone right now," Hermione tells him. She's still back-facing Tony.

His breath is caught in his throat. "I need.. to talk to you." Tony's heart is pounding. He stares at Hermione as he waits for her respond.

Nothing.

"Look," Tony begins, sitting up straight, "I am s-sorry for everything." He big eyes turn glum, his lips turn upside down.

Hermione half-turns her body, looking at Tony. "Define 'everything', father?" Hermione asks sassily.

Tony takes a deep breath and sighs heavily. "For leaving you and your mother, for putting you through hell, for... for everything! Please! I didn't mean to do that! I have my own reasons why," Tony tries to make sense.

Hermione rolls her eyes and turns back around. "Whatever, Mr. Stark. I'm sick of listening to your stupid excuses." She can't help but to say the word. No matter how loathe she is towards Tony but her mouth still wants to call him 'Dad.'

"You know my company had an issue. It was on its verge into curruption. I had no choice but to go to New York and take care of it," Tony begins explaining. His voice is so calm. "I... was so busy handling the company that I didn't have time to get back to you and your mother. I swear I am not lying with this. I tried to free my schedule buy I couldn't.

"For the first eight months everything was so hectic. I had to find new employees. I had to find people who would take the risk to share a contract with my company. I had to do everything on my own. You know... your grandfather and grandmother just died that time..." Tony couldn't continue the sentence as his heart begins to shatter with the thought of his deceased parents.

"So exactly after eight months when it starts to run smoothly, when the struggles become a bit cooled down, I came back to the house. But no one was there." Tony pauses just to see if Hermione wants to say something.

She didn't.

Tony continues, "I was broken when I didn't see you and your mother in that house, Helen." He comes back on calling the girl her real name. "I really was. I went to Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Remember, our neighbour? Who loved to bring you brownies every weekend? They said that you were taken to the local orphanage soon after Harriette killed herself. But when I went to the orphanage, you weren't there either."

"You know you can always find me," Hermione suddenly speaks in annoyance that makes Tony jerks her shoulders in surprise, didn't expect Hermione to talk.

"Technologies back then weren't as advantage as now, Helen. Trust me, I tried my best to find you with the knowledge and technologies I had back then. But the last thing I got from data was that you were dead in a car crash."

"And you believed it," Hermione flatly states.

"And I believed it," Tony shamefully admits. "Until Fury assigned me to capture you. Fury told us your name Hermione but then you use your real name here to conceal your identity. But then you said you're sick of keeping the secrets that you want me to tell them who you are." Tony suddenly laughs at himself like he's insane. "Seriously, Helen... Hermione, what do you want? What should I call you now? Hermione? Helen? Well, to be honest, Hermione is a nice name. It suits you but to me, you're Helen. You're my Helen. God, it's like I don't know who you are any more now!"

Hermione turns and sits up angrily. "Seriously? You can ask me what I want?"

Tony stares into Hermione's eyes and shrugs. "And your name."

Hermione scoffs. "My name?" she asks, an eyebrow raised. "Well, how about Joanna? How about that?"

"No! That's not you. That's your mother's mother."

"Then just call me Hermione. Just forget who Helen is. Helen is dead. I am Hermione."

"Please, don't this, honey. Your mother would be so disappointed with you," Tony soothes his daughter, reaching her hand.

"Disappointed in me?" Hermione points her finger to her chest. "She would be very disapponted in you! The one who left me and her is you! And do you know why she killed herself? Because she thought you didn't love her anymore. That you have your beautiful secretary and you've forgotten her. You didn't think about her when you left for your company, did you? All you think was your precious company."

"Don't you dare say that, Helen."

"Hermione!"

"I don't care!" Tony spats back. "You're still my daughter and my daughter is Helen!" Tony argues through his greeted teeth.

Hermione rolls her eyes and sighs sarcastically. "Whatever." She lies back on her bed.

"I'm not done with you yet, Helen," Tony tells her coldly.

"I'm done," Hermione replies. "I want to be alone," she says, in hoping Tony would leave.

But Tony refused to. His heart is heavy to leave the room. His heart is heavy to leave Hermione. When he looks at Hermione, he realises that he'd done a huge mistake that Hermione doesn't look like she's depending on someone like when she was little. She looks like she can handle everything on her own without his help or guidance. Again, Tony admits to himself that it's not Helen in the girl's body. It's Hermione.

Hermione takes a look on her back and quickly turns back in front when she sees Tony's shadow.

"You didn't trust me," Hermione says in a low sad voice.

Tony didn't reply.

Hermione sighs. "Even if I could escape this place, I don't have anywhere to go," she tells him. "Aaron died. You already knew the Villa. Lukas and other boys are here. Don't you think you've done enough? You've taken away our lives."

Their lives? Tony thought. Being an trained assassin at young age is their lives? For all he knows, the person who's incharge is taking their youth!

"I want to be alone." Hermione pulls the sheet higher to her chin.

With that, Tony reluctantly get up and leaves the room. Hermione is left crying alone in her hospital room, Tony is left crying alone in his lab.

•

Seriously, I am sorry to confuse you with the name. But it's not just me who's confused right nkw because Tony's confused too! I swear by the time pass, we'll get use to the name :)

I realise there's a little bit of Hank Palmer in Tony Stark. Haha. Or do they look the same?