Your Little Stark

Ch•9-Too Far

     Tony pulled up right in front of the elementary school, putting the Porsche in to park. He opened the door, they flew open towards to top of the car like the DeLorean from Back to the Future. Jessi clutched her book bag in her arms, staring blankly at the front door.

     Her fellow classmates were already running up the stairs to their classes. She sat completely still, fidgeting with the zipper on her bag "You feeling okay? Because we didn't have to come to school today, maybe another week off would be good for you"

     "No" Jessi slipped the straps around her shoulders slowly "I need to get out of the house" she looked back to the school building "this will be good for me. What should I tell people? They're bound to ask what happened out there"

    Tony thought for a moment, thinking of the best, fatherly answer "I think that you should tell them whatever you want to tell them. Or nothing at all. Your choice"

     Jessi gave a small, depressing smile before climbing out of the car. Tony watched her leave, feeling helpless.

    "Hey Jessi!" A red haired girl named April came bounding down the stairs to greet her friend. Jessi lifted her head up, trying to act like her normal happy self "I heard about what happened"

    "Everyone has April" Jessi looked around, making sure that no one was listening in on their conversation.

"Are you hurt?"

     Jessi wore a long sleeve shirt to cover up the bandage on her arm "Nope, it was just a freak accident, nothing more"

      April shrugged as they entered the school building. Kids stared and whispered as the two walked down the hallway "The whole thing was on Tv, it didn't look like an accident to me Jes"

                                     ***

    Dad sat inside one of his sports cars down in the workshop. He hadn't moved from the spot all evening. The computer screens in front of him were showing information about Ivan, the man who attacked us.

     I leaned against the wall, just studying him. Every little movement, or twitch he made. The purple skin rash on the side of his neck was growing and getting nasty.

     He seemed to be falling apart at the seams.
I let out a deep breath and returned up stairs to Pepper and Natalie. They were both on the phone at the same time. Pepper was in the middle of Tv interview with a CNN reporter. Natalie was speaking with a newspaper writer who wanted Peppers thought on the whole catastrophe. Everyone was busy doing something.

    I picked up a Captain America book and sat down on one of the smaller couches in the living room. The women on the Tv were drilling Pepper with questions. I glanced back and fourth between the two of them.

    "Where is he?" Rhodey stepped in to the room. He shut the front door behind him and walked down the hallway to us.

"He doesn't want to be bothered" Natalie said.

    I didn't remove my eyes from the book "He's sitting down stairs" I told Rhodey, that earned me a scowl from Natalie. Rhodey disappeared down stairs to the workshop. I looked at the grandfather clock on the wall "I'm going to bed" I said glumly, slipping the book under my arm.

"So early?" Natalie asked.

"Yea" I yawned, walking towards the stairs "it's been a long day"

    That night, the only thing in my mind was nightmares. Dreams about being attacked by Ivan again. His whips shredding everything in his path. Every time I woke up shaking, my stomach would feel queazy. The dreams kept returning all through the night.

     I rolled over in my bed, feeling the moonlight against my skin. My arms were wrapped around my stuffed tiger animal, the one my mother gave me. I haven't thought about her in awhile. I almost forgot how much I miss her.

    Outside my door, foot steps were sounding down the hallway right past my room.
I instinctively froze under the covers, my mind raced back to Obadiah. I rolled out of bed and slid silently to the door. It was already cracked open so I pushed it open.

     At the top of the staircase stood Rhodey, he looked like he was about to head downstairs "Rhodey? I rubbed my eyes "What are you still doing here? It's super late"

    "I know" he pinched his nose tiredly "I've just been with your Father, he isn't exactly feeling too well"

I knew what he meant. Dad wasn't sick, he was just off "what's wrong with him Rhodey?"

     He sighed, stepping closer to me "It's the whole Monaco thing. Its really gettin to him. The cores to his reactor are burning out fast, and the Iron Man suit is only making his condition worse. He just doesn't know when to stop before things go too far"

    "He seems fine to me... sorta. Except for that weird purple thing going on with his neck, and today he seemed sort of lost. Like his body was here but his mind was somewhere else"

    Rhodey smiled slightly "on the outside he seems fine, I suppose. But, he's putting on a brave face for you"

"He doesn't need to, I can take whatever is going on"

"I know you can kid"

    "Are they going to take the suits away?"
I asked, poking at the wall. It was dark in the hallway and I could barely see Rhodey as we spoke "the army, the government?"

    "They want to. They feel that Tony shouldn't keep them. Now that someone else possess the same technology, people are scared of the danger that could be ahead"

    I looked out the window of the hallway, the beautiful city of Malibu was just outside my window "I think he's the only one that can, and should keep the suits, they are his anyway"

    "I honestly don't know what to think" Rhodey turned back to the stairs "Well, good night Jessi, see you at the party"

"Night Rhodey" I waved my fingers in the air and shut the door.

Oh great, Dad's birthday party is tomorrow.

        A/N: Oh no, not that party.