Chapter Text
Darcy always had one man in her life. No matter what, her father would always be right by her side, if not behind the tinted windows of his car.
He was just 20 when she was born, still in a permanent haze of alcohol and parties and women. Her mother only contacted him in the last week of her pregnancy. It had been a classic one night stand and at first he denied that it was even his, but say nobody could the wisps of black hair and nose wasn’t his.
Sarah Lewis, said right away that she didn’t want her. Right there in the delivery room as the little girl was washed and swaddled.
“Dont give her to me. I don’t want a baby.” She sighed.
“I can pay for everything..” Tony said quickly “I’ll get you an apartment for the two of you..”
“No, Tony.” She cut him off “I’m signing away my rights. I don’t want a baby at all. I’m not her mother, I’m just the woman who gave birth to her.”
The midwife bought the baby over and held it out to him.
“What am I supposed to do?” He frowned, looking between the bundle of blanket and Sarah.
“Give her up for adoption, sell her at an auction. Just don’t give her to me.” Sarah waved a hand at him.
Tony was about to reply, but then the little girl was placed in his arms.
She was the softest, most precious, most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. Her eyes were closed and her skin was so pale, making her large, rosy cheeks seem even pinker.
“I’m gunna keep her.” He said gently, not taking his eyes of his daughter.
Tony never saw Sarah after that day. And honestly, he didn’t want to.
***
“You have to give her a name now, Tony.” Pepper said firmly “She’s two weeks old! She can’t be nameless forever.”
Tony coiled away from his PA, who had been a saint since the baby was born; buying milk, diapers, other things babies needed for survival. Pepper may have been his age, but she was miles ahead in maturity and organisational skills.
“I can’t think of anything, Pep.” He pouted “No name does her justice.”
The baby opened her eyes, and Tony’s breath was once again knocked out of his lungs by the beautiful sea-green colour of them.
“Tony, she needs an identity.” Pepper sighed.
The babe gurgled.
“Fine, what’s your favourite book?” Tony said simply, looking up at her.
“Pride and Prejudice.” She replied.
“Right. Not Elizabeth. Not Jane. Not Lydia.” He grimaced at the name choices “Not Caroline. What other female characters are there?”
“Georgina Darcy.” Pepper sat down next to him.
“Not that. Urgh.” Tony shook his head, but ran it through again “Darcy.” He said slowly.
The baby shrieked in glee.
***
“Okay, Darcy. Point to the cow.” Tony said, his voice a little higher than normal.
Darcy, now 5 months old, pressed her tiny hand against the cartoon drawing of a cow.
“Good girl! Now the horsie.”
She did the same.
“Now point to daddy.” he said.
Darcy pushed her palm against his chest.
“Da!” She exclaimed, beaming “Dada!”
Tony grinned so wide he thought his face would split in half.
“That’s right, princess. I’m Dada.” He said as he scooped her into his arms “You’re so smart!”
“Dadadadadadadadada.” Darcy giggled and tucked her face into his neck.
“My little genius.” Tony held her close.
The little girl looked up at him with wide eyes and in all of his years of living, nobody had ever looked at Tony with such adoration.
That’s what was strange about babies for him; they were so new. They knew nothing other than what was right in front of them. Tony was the only man Darcy knew at this point, and she identified him as the most important man in her life as she babbled his name over and over.
His father had never showed him much affection. He taught him and trained him to be the genius he was today, but he rarely afforded him any fatherly pride. Honestly, Tony didn’t know how he did it. Looking at Darcy, his daughter, he didn’t know how one could fight the unspeakable urge to protect, cherish and love their child.
***
Tony slowed his love life down after Darcy was born. Not completely, but he sure was careful about protection.
One morning, a new redhead, Trisha, stepped quietly into the kitchen of Tony’s beach house, naked for all but a silk robe that was embroidered with the image of a peacock on the back.
She made herself some coffee, attempted to smooth down her mussed hair, and decided to take a look through the living room.
Sat infront of the window, in a cushioned little corner, was Darcy.
“Hello?” Trisha called to her.
Darcy turned around and smiled brightly. Just one and a half years of age, she could already speak “Hi!”
“Are you...who are you?” The redhead took a step closer, eyeing her closely.
“I’m Darcy.” The infant announced, tapping a hand against her own chubby leg “You?”
“I’m Trisha.” She said slowly “What are you doing there, Darcy?”
“I’m watching the water.” Darcy pointed at the waves as they crashed against the cliff face below her “It’s loud, but I’m far ‘way. So it’s quiet.”
“How old are you?” Trisha asked, confused how such a small child could be holding a full conversation.
Darcy proudly held up one finger just as Tony rushed in.
“Tara! You’re awake.” He said, eyes shifting to Darcy. His daughter looked up at him questioningly, he shook his head at her “I see you’ve met my housekeepers daughter. Say goodby, Darcy. Tara is leaving now.” Tony handed her her clothes and began to usher her out the door.
“Bye bye, Trisha!” Darcy called, clapping.
“Thanks for the great night, Trish. But I have to talk to my housekeeper about leaving her daughter lying around.” Tony said quickly, giving Trisha a quick kiss on the cheek before closing the door behind her.
“Daddy, Pep’s gone!” Darcy said, holding out her arms to be picked up.
Tony padded over and swooped her into his arms, resting her against his hips “Really? Where is she?”
“She’s gone to boring.” She explained.
He chuckled. It was Pepper’s little code for him when she didn’t have the time to go over the details of where she was going to a toddler, she simply told him she was going to do something boring. Lost in translation, Pepper ended up in the land of ‘Boring’ in Darcy’s mind.
“Has she now? Well I guess that leaves just you and me, Princess.” Tony grinned, twirling them around “But I have some work to do, is that okay?”
Darcy’s bright eyes widened “In the shop?” She asked hopefully.
“Yes, Peanut. in the workshop.” Tony nodded “Do you want that?”
“Yeah! The Shop!” Darcy grinned.
By the time Pepper got back, Darcy was sat on one of the lab tables, playing with the building blocks Tony had made.
They were touch activated, LED lit cubes that were transparent when unused. But when Darcy picked on up in her tiny hand, it would slowly gradiate into a colour. When they were stacked on top of each other, she could change the colours by tapping them, creating her own little light show.
“Tony. I thought we agreed on the ‘no babies on work tables’ rule.” Pepper said as she stepped into the workshop, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“She’s not a baby anymore.” Tony pointed out, lifting his eyes from the blueprints he was sketching “She spoke to the girl I slept with last night. In fact, I think she said more to her than I did.”
Pepper rolled her eyes and made her way over to the workbench “Hello, Darcy.”
“Hello, Pep.” Darcy smiled, tapping at the cubes until they changed to blue to match Pepper’s suit.
“How are you?” She asked.
“I am happy!” The toddler declared.
Tony chuckled “Darcy and I are working together.”
“How so?” Pepper asked.
“Well, she said the prototype hydroelectric generator I’m building has to be more yellow, like the sun. So I’ve added a secondary level with some solar panels to it to give it some more sunshine.” He smiled.
Darcy clapped.
“Well, I have some more errands to run. Goodbye, Darcy.” Pepper smiled.
“Bye, Pep.”
“Oh, and Tony?” She lowered her voice “Try and keep your one-night stands away from Darcy, okay?”
“Affirmative, Captain.” Tony gave her a mock salute.
Darcy mimicked his movement “Aye aye!”
Pepper rolled her eyes, wondering how she ended up looking after two children as her job.