"So, you're actually a secret agent?" Grace asks excitedly.

Natasha chuckles. "Yup."

"And your real name is Natasha?"

"Uh huh."

"That's even prettier than Natalie," Grace says, eyes wide.

Natasha smiles — a genuine one.

In the next room, Tony is waiting for Fury to enter. There are files on the table. One of them says, "Avengers Initiative Preliminary Report."

Before Tony can open it, Fury walks in and places his hand on it. "I don't think I want you looking at that." He takes it back and sits down across from Tony. "I'm not sure it pertains to you anymore. Now this on the other hand, is Agent Romanoff's assessment of you. Read it." He hands Tony the file.

Tony opens it and starts reading from it. "'Personality overview: Mr Stark displays compulsive behaviour.' In my own defence, that was last week. 'Prone to self-destructive tendencies-' I was dying. I mean, please. '- but mostly takes responsibility for his daughter and her safety.' Finally, something fairly accurate. 'Textbook narcissism.' Agreed. Okay, here it is. 'Recruitment assessment for Avenger Initiative: Iron Man? Yes.'" He puts the file down. "I gotta think about it."

"Read on," Fury says.

"'Tony Stark not... not recommended?' That doesn't make any sense. How can you approve me but not approve me? I got a new ticker. I'm trying to do right by Pepper and my daughter. I'm in a stable-ish relationship."

"Which leads us to believe at this juncture that we'd only like to use you as a consultant. You need to get your life back on track. Spend time with your daughter."

Tony stands, then Fury does. They shake hands. Tony smiles thinly. "You can't afford me." He turns to go, but then stops. "Then again, I will waive my customary retainer in exchange for a small favor. Rhodey and I are being honoured in Washington, and we need a presenter."

Fury smiles a little. "I'll see what I can do."

~~~~

Senator Stern presented the medals to Tony and Rhodey. Tony held back laughter almost the entire time.

"It is my honour to be here today to present these distinguished awards to Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes and Mr. Tony Stark —who is, of course, a national treasure." The medals are held out to him on a board, and he pins one on Rhodey's uniform. "Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel, for such an exceptionally distinguished performance. You deserve this."

"Thank you, sir," Rhodey replies.

He moves on to Tony. "Mr Stark. Thank you for such an exceptionally distinguished performance. You deserve this." He pricks him with the pin. Tony winces. "Oh, sorry. That was an accident."

It wasn't.

Grace watches with Happy from several feet away, concealed by him and other members of Tony's security. No one knows she's there but Tony, Rhodey, Pepper, Happy, and the security. She beams with pride, watching photos being taken of her father and Rhodey with Senator Stern.

~~~~

Later that day, back at home, Grace is in her room, painting with the paint set her father finally bought her. She's using the art skills Natasha taught her in their free time to try to paint Iron Man. It's not looking too bad.

Then, there's a knock on her door. She turns. "Come in."

Tony opens the door, looking inside. He sees Grace in the back corner at the easel, positioned just behind her dresser. He walks in. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Hey," she says. She puts her paint brush in her water cup, then wipes her hands on a paper towel.

Tony pulls back the canopy on her bed and sits down. "Grace, I... I need to talk to you."

Her face falls as she sits down next to him. "Why? What happened?"

Tony shakes his head. "No, no, nothing happened. I just..." He sighs. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Her brows furrow. "For what?"

"Everything," he says. "For putting you in danger, for what happened at my birthday party, for practically destroying our home." He sighs. "I... I haven't been the best dad lately, and I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," Grace replies, hugging him when she sees that he's starting to cry. "It's okay." He hugs her back, and she starts to cry a little, too, then finally voices what she's been thinking ever since he left for Afghanistan and didn't return for three months. "I just... When you go away — or-or when you send me away... Dad, I don't like it." She pulls back to look at him. "I want to go with you."

"Grace-"

"I-I don't know what's happening to you or-or if you're okay." She starts to speak, but stops herself, the thought of what she wants to say scaring her. But it needs to be said. "I don't know if you're gonna come back."

Tony pauses, takes a shaky breath. "Do you know why I named you Grace?"

"No..."

"Because you saved me... You were my saving grace. And I just want to save you." He pauses for a moment, then continues. "I have to send you away. I have to take the fight away from you or you away from the fight. I want you to be okay. Okay?"

She nods. "O-Okay."

"Okay..."

She rests her head on his chest again, thinking now that they're both quiet. There's another thing she's been thinking, but for much longer — for as long as she can remember. "What about my mom?"

Tony stops. "...What about her?"

"Where is she? And-And why don't you ever send me to her when you send me away?" She loves Pepper and Happy — and even Natasha — but she's never understood why her dad won't send her to her mother.

Or even let her meet her — just once. He never even talks about her. All she knows is that her mother is out there somewhere, but she doesn't know where.

"Grace, I..." Tony sighs. "Look, I didn't want to tell you this before because I wasn't sure you would understand, but... but I think now's the time." She sits up, looking at him expectantly. He runs a hand through his hair, trying to word this correctly. "I met your mother... at a party."

"What kind of party?"

"A loud one," Tony replies. "Not a... nice one. Like my birthday party, but worse and with less Iron Man." She chuckles at that, and he smiles a little, but his face falls again when he continues. "I... You were... You were an accident — and that's not a bad thing," he hurriedly adds. "But... your mother didn't... want to have a baby.

"But I... When she told me that she was pregnant with you, I knew. I knew right then and there that I wanted you more than anything else in the world. And she told me that she was willing to have you, but I would have to pay for it. I'd have to pay for every expense and then some if she was going to have you. And I didn't care. I payed her every dime she asked for.

"And then she said that... when you were born, I had to care of you. That was the other condition. That she would leave you with me, and she wouldn't have to have any part of your life at all; I wouldn't ever contact her about you again. And I agreed.

"And when you were born... some part of me thought that, when she saw you, she would change her mind and decide that she wanted you, too, but..."

He can't finish through his tears, so Grace, through her own, says, "She didn't?" Her voice breaks.

Tony shakes his head. "No... No, she didn't." He takes a deep breath. "She left you with me, and I haven't heard from her since. I don't know where she is now."

Grace closes her eyes, the tears pouring. Tony looks at her, and she looks absolutely pitiful. Heartbroken, even.

All this time, she's been wondering about her mother. She thought that maybe she was out there in the world somewhere, looking for her.

She imagined that, maybe, she had to give Grace up after she was born in order to save her life. A few times, she even pretended that Pepper was her real mom, and Tony just wasn't telling her. Like it was some elaborate prank he was pulling. Just a few days ago, when Natasha told her the truth — that she was a secret agent — she thought that maybe her mom was a secret agent, too, and that was why she never saw her and Tony never talked about it.

She never, never would've thought that this would be the story.

Tony wraps his arms around her, and she hugs him tightly, crying into his shirt. "Wh-Why didn't sh-she want me?" She's shaking, she's crying so hard.

Tony's heart breaks in two. "I don't know, sweetheart. I don't know..." He kisses the top of her head, closing his eyes. "But I do. I want you. And I always will, no matter what. Okay? And-And Pepper wants you. And Happy wants you. And Rhodey wants you. And I think Natasha does, too." He hugs her tighter. "Sweetheart, your mom... just don't even think about her, okay? You don't need to."

"Do you hate her?" Grace asks, calmed a bit now.

Tony shakes his head. "No... No. How could I? She gave me you." He sighs. "But I try not to think about her. Not often. She's missing out on raising the most wonderful girl on planet Earth; that's her loss."

Grace looks up at him, sniffling. "I love you, Dad."

He smiles. "I love you, too, sweetheart." She wipes her eyes, and Tony wipes his. He sighs. "You know, I've been meaning to tell you something else, too, and I guess now is as good a time as any."

"Tell me what?" she asks.

He pauses, then smiles. "I kissed Pepper."

Her eyes widen and she practically bounces in excitement. "You did?! When?! Where?! Was it when I was with Happy?! Was it yesterday?!" She stops, gasping. "Does this mean you're gonna marry her now?!"

Tony laughs. "Slow down there, sweetheart. Not just yet. Hopefully someday, though." He puts an arm around her and holds her against him, smiling now. After a moment, he says, "Hey, what do you say we get some ice cream and watch a Disney movie?"

Grace smiles. "I wanna watch Cinderella."

Tony grins, getting up. "You got it, sweetheart. I'll go get the ice cream."

"Chocolate with sprinkles!" she calls as he heads out the door.

"I know!" he calls back.