I just wanted to apologize for this update taking so long! I know where I want to go with this but I couldnt decide how I wanted to get there. Hopefully I'll be able to get these out faster. Just know that I am still writing this story, and plan to be for a long time! I appreciate all the votes and comments so so much❤

Tony P.O.V

I am woken from a dead sleep to the sound of terrified screaming. The sound is haunting, we've had Callie for about a month now and I still am shook by the desperation and fear in her cries.

I pull myself off the couch, I had been waiting up because she's done this every night since that first one and so I've gotten into the habit of just watching television until a nightmare strikes. I rush out of my room and down the hall, pushing Callie's door open.

She's curled into the fetal position with her hands covering her face. She's screaming the same words over and over, "Stop, I don't want to!"
The agony in her voice cuts me so deeply, I really hope that once shes here and safe long enough she won't have to keep reliving her horrific past night after night.

I sit on her bed and pull her into my lap, taking her face into my hands, her cheeks wet with tears. "Callie, wake up. It's not real, you're dreaming. Daddy's here." I repeat this again and again as I have night after night, and each time she seems to wake faster. Her eyes blink open; such an ice blue they almost glow in the dark, and stare into mine. When she is stressed or upset her eyes are this stunning, inhuman colour. She studies me for a moment, deciding that I am in fact real, and burrows her face into my chest.

"There you go," I whisper as I lay back in the bed. Soon her breathing steadies and I feel her go limp in my arms, finally asleep.

I close my eyes; finally allowing myself to fall asleep for the night.
•
•
•
The next day

After a quick breakfast I buckle Callie into her car seat in the back of my ex-chauffer's vehicle so he can bring us to the airport. We are going to the Avenger's Facility where we'll be spending a week or so.

I'm tired of being alone and I really need to get some work done which has been hard without an extra set of eyes on Callie. She's not exactly naughty, but I have discovered a few electronics expertly taken apart, and I've had to show her numerous times how to put them back together.
The first was the television in her room... completely dismantled. When I'd found her she seemed quite proud of herself so I didn't want to scold her but I explained that she shouldn't do it again and I showed her how to reassemble it. She caught on extraordinarily quickly but every time I try and work in the shop I come upstairs to discover that she has taken something apart, began to reassemble it but lost interest and proceeded to play with something else. Needless to say I had really counted on having Pepper around.

"I really need to find a sports car with a backseat," I mutter to her as I click the seat belt in across her lap, and I actually mean it. I'm almost to the point of buying any old vehicle because I've had to borrow Happy from Pepper to drive the kid and I around; it's seriously a huge pain in the ass. Especially because I had to offer him double what I'd been paying him before.

I plant a kiss on Callie's forehead before walking around the back of the car and taking my own seat beside her. Happy quickly loads our bags and then climbs into the drivers seat.
I really want to ask him about Pepper but I don't want to while Callie is hanging onto my every word.

Once Happy has pulled onto the highway and Callie is staring out the window, enthralled by the passing scenery, I know that it's now or never.

"Thanks for doing this Happy, I really appreciate it." I decide to try and bring it up casually.

"Of course, it's no problem Tony." He replies, glancing at me through the rear view mirror.

"So, how's your new job? You know the one you abandoned me for to work for...Pepper?" I force out the last word, swallowing hard afterwards. My throat suddenly feels extremely tight.

I can see the driver lift an eye brow and I can tell just from his eyes that he's holding back a grin, "well first off, I'm sorry about the job, but I've got a good thing going. You know what people would do when I told them I was Iron Man's body guard? They would laugh in my face."

I let out a laugh, "okay, okay I see your point."

"But about Pepper," he interrupts me and my laugh stops abruptly, "I think you should message her. I think she will come around if she can spend some time with that little munchkin, but mostly I think she misses you. She's not a bad person you know," he speaks very calmly, not at all reflecting how I'm feeling.

"I know she's not, but I don't know if she actually will come around. I guess I could try though..." I reply, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

Just as we pull onto the runway where my private jet is parked I pull up Miss Pots on my phone and send a quick 'hey, how are you?' Then I tuck my phone into my back pocket before exiting the vehicle and making my way to Callie's side to unbuckle her and carry her onto the jet.