Chapter 19: Dad's Lab

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My day had been pretty boring. I had  come to SI to work while Peter was doing god knows what with Ned and Morgan was at a friends house. I had spent all morning working on plans for Morgans first birthday with me and because mum was working I had to make it extra special for her.

One the day was planned out I got back to working on some new upgrades for mine and Peter's suits.

At around lunchtime I was bored with the work in the lab and frankly I was annoyed at how little space I had for what I wanted to do, so I decided and head up to my mums office to see if she was free. 

Thankfully she was free and we sat and had lunch. Afterwards I sat in her office, helping her out with some paperwork while we chatted about whatever. As I sat back in the chair, absentmindedly playing with the ring Pete hand given me. 

I hadn't noticed my mum's eyes watching me as I rest my head against my hand. My fingers still playing with the ring.

"That's nice." My mum called out making me jump, I looked up at her as she reached over the table and grabbed my hand. 

"Where did you get this from?" She asked and I turned a deep shade of red and I pulled my hand back and looked at the pen in my hand. 

"Pete gave it to me." I smiled shyly. "It was his mom's, he said he wanted me to have it.£ 

"Really?" 

"Yeah."

"Like...an engagement ring?" She asked one eye brow raised and I shook my head quickly. 

"Not exactly."

"Not exactly?"

"Well, he said it was a promise ring...for now."

"For now?" mum asked, a small smirk on her face.

"He said that for now, it was a promise that one day, he will take the ring back and propose."

"Wow."

"Yeah." I nodded, I smiled over at my mum and watched as she thought about what I had said and she smiled back. 

"Well, I'm happy you two are moving forward with your relationship but you're not going to fast."

"Don't worry mum, neither of us are ready for that just yet." I joked and she nodded.

We sat talking for a little while, planning for Morgans birthday in a couple weeks and just gossiping. 

Mum was cut off mid sentence by her phone ringing. She answered it and I took this opportunity to text Pete.

"Damn it." My mum sighed as she put the phone down.

"What's up?" I asked looking up at her.  

"Listen, I need the papers." Mum sighed as she huffed. 

"What papers?"

"It's a bunch of papers your dad left. It had everything that happens to the Company now that he's gone." She sighed finally looking up at me from her desk.

"Oh."

"Yeah, I've been putting it off for a while now but apparently it needs to be sorted ASAP because, well, you're turning 18 soon and there are curtain things that happen when that happens and it's all written down on those papers."

"Well, I'll help you look."

"That's not a good idea." She told me looking up into my eyes. I saw a flicker of something in her eyes before she look away.

"Don't be silly, now where would they be?"

It stayed quiet for a minute before she let out a sigh and stood up, walking around and sitting on her desk.

"They're in his safe, in his lab." She told me and I knew why she was acting strange. "I haven't been in there since you we're gone, I can't bring myself to go in."

"Yeah, I know how you feel." I sighed, resting my head in my hands.

"I'm not asking you to go in there honey, I would never ask that. I'll get Happy to go in there." She smiled sadly and I shook my head.

"No, there are only three people who know the pin to that safe and Happy isn't one of them." I sighed as I stood from my seat.

"Evie..." She began but I shook my head and smiled at her.

"I'll be fine mum, I promise." I smiled and I took a step towards the door. Then mum did something I didn't expect. She followed me.

The elevator ride to the lab was quiet. Half way through Mum grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. The elevator stopped and we each took a deep, unsteady breath as the doors opened into darkness.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, switch on the lights." My mum spoke up and the lights flickered to life. 

"Hey F.R.I.D.A.Y." I spoke up.

"Good evening miss Stark." She answered back. I led mum over to a large photo of my dad, Pepper and I that hung on the wall.

"Hi dad." I whispered as I reached up and touched his face.

"Hey kiddo!" I heard a voice say and I turned around to see my dad stood in the centre of the room...well, his holographic message. I felt my breath hitch in my throat and my knees went week as I grabbed on to my mum for support.

"I'm out of the lab right now, maybe on a mission but I will call you back as soon as I get back. Love you kiddo, say hey to the kid for me." then the projection stopped and there stood my dad smiling wide. 

"I miss you." I told him. 

"I forgot about that message." my mum sniffled and I nodded. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked around and called out my dad's name.

"Tony?"

"Hey Pepper. So...I'm away from the lab, as you can see. I mean you know I'm out but in case you don't...I'm out. I'll stay safe, I'll remember to pick up dinner and I'll be home when ever. I Love you baby, I'll call you later." the projection again froze and my mum chuckled as tears fell down her face.

"He's an idiot." I chuckled and she nodded. I turned back to the photo and  pulled it out, revealing the safe. 

"Miss Stark, please enter the code and Voice recognition password."

I punched in the code, my birthday, and said out loud, "My dad rules...Cap sucks." I chuckled at my dad's childishness and stepped back as the safe opened revealing a stack of papers and a bunch of plans. 

I pulled out the papers my mum needed and and handed them to her. I pulled out a file marked 'Evie Grace' and opened it. Inside were photos, photos from every big moment of my life. The day I was born, the day I moved in with dad, my first day of school, trips we had taken. My whole life was in this file and I smiled. 

I took a few more files out of the safe, each were plans of projects my dad had been working on, and placed them on his table.

"Evie, honey, I have to go, get these up to legal. Are you coming?" My mum asked me and I shook my head, looking down at the files. 

"I think I want to stick around." I smiled. She walked over and kissed my head before she walked away, but I stopped her.

"Mum?" 

"Yeah honey?"

"Do you think maybe I could...take over dad's lab, use it to keep working on his projects, maybe work on my own?" I asked hopefully. Mum looked around at the lab and nodded.

"You know, I think that is a great Idea. Maybe stark working here at the weekends, Pete too." She offered and I nodded, smiling up at her.

"Yeah, I think I can really keep his legacy alive working her." I smiled and she nodded. I looked back down at the files and mum left.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y open up your systems coding." I ordered and F.R.I.D.A.Y's coding appeared infront of me. I re-coded her to answer to me and then ungraded her.

"Now transfer all files and memories from A.I Tracy and shut her down." I called out to her and she answered back with a 'Yes, Boss.'

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