Emily's new home (for Mikaedi)

[Little Sayuri]

Emily was sitting on a chair, hugging her farvorite stuffed animal and waiting. She wasn't sure why she was waiting, but the nice lady from the social services had told her to sit down and wait and call her if she would need something. Emily had decided to do as she told her and so she was waiting here. She was unsure what was going on right now. All she knew was, that her mommy got sick and then the woman from the social services came and told her that she would get to live with her father from now and that her mommy was in the holidays at the moment and she wasn't sure when she would come back. But mommy never went into the holidays without her! Emily was sure that the woman was lying to her but she couldn't understand what she meant. After all, she was just a 6 Year old and the woman from the social services had decided to tell Emily's father that the mother of his child had passed away so that he could tell her this in the way he wanted to.

Pepper was on her way to work as her cellphone rang. She answered it quickly as she pulled up on the parking lot. "Good morning Miss Potts, this is Mrs. Hall from the social services. We need to talk to Mr. Stark", a woman said as friendly as possible. "What for?", Pepper asked, not sure what would come next. "Mr. Starks daughter", the woman started but Pepper answered: "He doesn't have a daughter" but the woman continued: "Oh yes he has, her name is Emily. Her mother told us that she is his daughter. Her mother passed away and so Mr. Stark is the only relative that we know. He needs to care for her from now on", Mrs. Hall told Pepper. Pepper frowned and answered: "Don't get this the wrong way but I think we should first make sure that he is her father" "As you wish, just come here and we will make a DNA Test." Pepper wrote down the adress and then went down to Tony's lab. She typed her code in and the door opened. "Tony? We need to talk, now! Its urgent!"

[Castro]

Tony was siitting at his computer terminals totally obsorbed in his work, looking up as pepper entered the lab..
"What is so urgent that you need to disturb me, I really am busy, so what's up Pepper"?

[Little Sayuri]

Pepper turned the chair around so that Tony was facing her. "You have a daughter! That is so important that I need to disturb you! The lady from the social services told me that her mother passed away and that you need to care for her from now on! I suggested a DNA test and she agreed. We need to go there, she picked the girl already up and she is waiting there...", Pepper answered him, half angrily and half concerned. What if he would say that he wouldn't do it? She never saw him with children together, what if he decided that he doesn't like them? He wasn't a typical father figure, with all the fights against the bad guys and the danger and all these things...But she couldn't help but imagine that he would be indeed a good father...if he would change just a bit for his child...would he do that?

"Lets go!"

[Castro]

Tony looked at Pepper in stunned silence, then, he spoke with a look of confusion and dought..

"There is some mistake, me, a daughter, her Mother has died, look you were right in asking for a DNA test, at least it will show Ime not her father, and anyway, I know nothing about caring for children, Ime ready Pepper, let's get this mess sorted out so I can get back to work"

Tony was shocked, the fact he may have a daughter was just so foreign to him, this here, is his life, he was to say, a little scared, what if the DNA test showed he was her father? then what? is he prepared to look after a little girl? he knows nothing about children, all these questions, well they will be answered in time.

[Little Sayuri]

Pepper nodded and called Happy, Tony's driver. "Happy, we need to drive to the social services, I'll give you the adress in the car", with that, she and Tony went outside, where the driver was already waiting. Soon, Tony and Pepper entered the building and Pepper asked for Mrs. Hall. The receptionist smiled and nodded. "Just a second." She called her and soon a woman walked towards them, a nervous smile on her face. "Thank you for getting here so quickly, the test results won't need very long" She lead them to her office and a woman from the lab came with two cotton bud's. "I need a bit saliva Mr. Stark, please open your mouth" After she got what she wanted, she put the cotton bud in a bag.

Emily was still waiting, but at the moment she sat at a table and drew some pictures. As a nice looking woman came to her and knelt down to her, she looked up. "Hey Emily. Wanna help me to do a legerdermain?", she asked. The girl thought about it and nodded after a short moment. "Alright, we need to find out where your daddy is, so I need to put this cotton bud in your mouth and take some of your saliva. It is magical and will show us where he is, alright? I promise you it won't hurt", she told her gently. Emily just nodded and opened her mouth. After the woman was done, she asked: "How long does it take for the cotton bud to find my daddy?" "Oh this will take a bit, but not too long. Maybe half an hour. Once you're done with two more pictures, the cotton bud will have told us if your daddy is here, alright?" Emily nodded. "Okay" With that, she continued drawing and the woman went away.

Pepper sat down next to Tony and started checking her mails while they waited for the test results. "Tony...? I...uhm...don't worry. If you are...if she is your daughter, we will both care for her, okay? I'll help you, as I always did.", she said and looked at him.

[Castro]

Tony was to say the least in a very nervous state, awaiting the test results that will tell whether this little girl was his or not, the fact that Pepper offered help, didn't really help all that much, there was so many unknowns..turning to Pepper, to share his concerns..
"Pepper, thanks for the offer, but really, what if this little girl is my daughter, I know nothing on how to look after children, little girls even more so, I work in a lab with computers, science is my life, catching bad guys, not little girls, she can't be mine, she can't"
Tony sat there even more worried as time went by, waiting for Pepper's answer, if he really wanted it or not.

[Little Sayuri]

Pepper looked at Tony and took his hand, to calm him down a bit. "Don't worry. No parent is really prepared for caring for a child, it comes all by itself, and if not, I'm still there to help you, alright?"

After 30 minutes that seemed like the eternity for Pepper, a woman from the lab went into the office of Mrs. Hall. A few moments later, Mrs. Hall went out of the office and motioned for Pepper and Tony to follow her into the office. "Alright. Mr. Stark you are indeed the father of Emily.", she said after a short moment. Pepper looked at Tony worried but smiled at Mrs. Hall. "Okay, where is the girl?" "She is drawing some pictures at the moment, if you are ready, I'll lead you to her", she said and looked at Tony to see if he was ready to meet Emily.

[Castro]

Tony's thoughts were interrupted by the appearence of the Women "Mrs Hall! who stated that the girl is indeed his, he looked at Tony, then to the Women, knowing full well science does not lie, this little girl is his, he has a daughter, he half smiled, still nervous at meeting Emily..
"Im ready , to meet my daughter, lead the way"
As Tony and Pepper followed the Social Services Women, he smiled, turning to Tony..''i wander if she will like Jarvis? even more so, who her daddy is"?

[Little Sayuri]

Mrs. Hall nodded and started leading them to the room where Emily was still sitting at a little table and drawing pictures.

Pepper chuckled. "I think she will be afraid of him first", she said and smiled.

"Wait here", Mrs. Hall said and went over to the girl. "Emily?", she asked and bend down to her. The girl looked up. "Did the cotton bud find my daddy?", she asked. Mrs. Hall chuckled. "Yes it did, do you wanna meet him?" Emily thought about it. "Is he nice?", she wanted to know. The woman nodded. "Very", she said and Emily smiled. "Okay!" Mrs. Hall took her by the hand and lead her to the door. "Mr. Stark?", she asked and Emily looked up at Tony with her big brown eyes that looked exactly like his.

[Castro]

Tony looked quickly at Pepper with a "what now kind of look! then to little Emily, Tony looked down to the small child saying a simple..
"Hi, um, sorry, you must be Emily, my daughter, nice to meet you"
He looked again at Pepper, feeling very awkeward.