Midnight Racer-Tony Stark's Daughter

twenty-eight

Tony called a press meeting the next day. Well...Pepper called and arranged the whole thing, got all the people there, and set the time and place for it while Tony and Dallas just went to it. She set it early in the morning, saying that would be the best time and they would not have to deal with cranky people in the afternoon.

Eight o'clock was pretty early for someone who did not catch that good of a nights sleep. Dallas could not leave the Tower in her car, the news had seen Tony take her back to the Tower, and thankfully they still did not know that she even had a car. Hopefully that would remain secret through this. Not being able to leave the Tower caused her to retreat to the guest room looking for Griffin, after she had a very silent dinner with Tony and Pepper, but he was not there.

Griffin had left, leaving a note in the room that he was sleeping in saying that he was going over to Jays house for a while, that it was cool being there but he wanted to hang out with the other guy too. Now with the whole news fiasco involving Dallas, she was sure he would not be coming to visit the Tower anytime soon.

So she watched pointless movies to pass time until the sun had risen again, then she caught an early shower and changed into some comfortable yet nice looking clothes. Some light blue jeans, along with a plain black t-shirt that was clean got thrown on with her hair being pulled back into a ponytail.

Pepper had come to get her at seven. The woman had kindly led Dallas to a room behind the podium where they would be announcing publicly that she was Tony's daughter. Together they went over what to say, when to answer questions and when not to say anything at all.

Truth is Dallas did not really listen to Pepper, she heard her vaguely yes, but her mind was somewhere else entirely. Right now she really wishes that she had actually payed attention and had not given in to her anxious prison that still came up to hold her captive from time to time. The hour since she had gotten here went by way too fast.

Tony was out there right now, warming up the crowd who were all surprisingly very awake and ready to hear anything the man had to say. And..record it and broadcast it and put it on the television where millions of people who watch the news can see and form opinions and say things, think things–

"Dallas. He's ready for you out there." Pepper clicked her heels over to where Dallas was sitting.

Dallas could feel her heart pumping against her chest, she could not do this. There was too many people, too many things that could go wrong. Too many things she could say or let slip up. She could embarrass herself or show the world the horrible nervous wreck she had become over the past fourteen hours, s-she was not her normal self right now. This was the bad part about her, she could not let anyone see this.

"Dallas, did you hear me?" Pepper asks, lingering in the doorway.

Dallas gives her a glance before retreating back to playing with her hands and rocking herself almost unnoticeably, it must have been enough because the door closes and she can hear little clinks on the floor coming her way before they stop in front of her own shoes.

Pepper crouches down, God knows how she does that with her business suit on, and looks at Dallas with such pure concern that makes Dallas want to forget all her insecurities and just be her best self but she can not, it is not that easy.

"Honey, are you okay?" Pepper asks.

"I-I can't go out there. It's not gonna happen, I'm really sorry." Dallas replies, her palms grinding into each other now as if it would squash the nerves.

"Oh, sweetie you're going to be fine out there. You're just a little nervous." Pepper says.

Yeah I'm going to puke my guts out Pepper, and that'll be just fine too.