Sorry for the long wait on this chapter, but my muse for this story has finally returned :D

Thanks to everyone for the great reviews and suggestions for a title, they helped my out a lot. Sorry for the short update, but don't worry cause the next chapter is almost done!

As always, please review.

All she could feel was pain. Her head throbbed, her stomach felt like she had just eaten a handful of rocks, and as much as she tried, she couldn't keep sleeping. The dazed girl struggled to pull herself into a sitting position. She rubbed at her still sleep filled eyes, trying to make out the blurs around her.

Tony sat slumped over in a chair across from her, fast asleep. Alexis regarded him carefully before pushing off the thin white hospital blanket that covered her. She slipped off of the narrow bed and landed softly on the linoleum floor beneath her. She noticed Tony was wearing just an old T-shirt and jeans. For some reason she was having a bit of trouble remembering how she had got to the sterile white room. She began to walk through the events in her mind, and gradually recalled what had happened.
Alexis frowned, she couldn't help from feeling guilty. Tony had been so nice to her, he had taken her into his home, and even adopted her as his own. She couldn't really blame him for needing some time alone to think things out. She walked up to him, standing by his knee, and reached out to nudge his arm with her hand. He let out an intelligible mumble, and the child tried again, pushing him with some force.

"Wha!? I'm up!" Tony sat straight up and looked around the room with wide eyes. He saw the girl standing next to him and let himself relax again. Pepper had a real temper whenever he had fallen asleep in board meetings. "You're awake," He commented. "How do you feel?"

"Like everything in my stomach turned to cement," She paused and picked at a loose thread on the arm of the chair Tony occupied. "I'm sorry."

"You should be," Tony grunted. "Pepper was ready to kill me, it took two hours to calm her down."

"Sorry," mumbled the child once again. She continued to pick at the chair as though it was the most fascinating thing in the room. "I understand if you want to send me away.."

"We'll talk about that later," Tony sat up straighter, beginning to wake from the nap he had been taking. "But you won't be going anywhere for a long time, you're grounded." Alexis looked up at Tony in shock; he stared back, actually managing to look stern. "For now we're going home to get some real sleep." The child looked around the room in search of a clock. There was one behind her, above a sink, she was surprised that it read one o-clock. It was late.

Alexis nodded her head slowly, too surprised to say anything. She felt a tug on her arm and grimaced when she noticed the IV was still attached to her. A small whimper escaped her throat.

"I hate needles.." The girl managed to squeak, holding her arm out away from her body. Tony sighed and stood up.

"I hadn't noticed," He rolled his eyes, sarcasm thick in his voice. He lifted Alexis up and set her back onto the narrow hospital bed. "I'm going to go get a nurse, you just stay here." She nodded her head, and he left the room.

Alexis sighed again and looked around the barren room. While Tony was gone she began to realize what he had meant. He wasn't going to send her back to the military, at least that was something. He was defiantly treating her differently. It was apparent to the girl that things were changed and while she was glad that the truth was out, she wasn't sure if she would like the new way Tony was treating her.

Tony strode back into the room, followed by Pepper instead of a nurse. Pepper approached the small child sitting on the edge of the bed and swinging her jean clad legs back and forth. She looked up to the woman nervously, wondering if she knew the truth about her yet.

"Alexis Stark, could you please tell me what you were thinking?" Her tone was deceptively calm and business like, it worried the girl.

"I don't know," her reply was barley more then a whisper, she continued to kick her legs out back and forth. Pepper took a deep breath, obviously to calm herself, and reached out to still The child's legs. She held them in place with one hand and lifted her chin so she was forced to look her in the eye.

"Now Alexis, you're old enough to know what is off limits to you," The child squirmed under her gaze. "Why did you drink the alcohol?"

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again," Alexis quickly blurted out, wishing she could just walk away from the room.

"I know you won't," She had never heard Pepper so angry, not even at Mr. Stark. She was keeping her voice even and quiet, it was worse then if she had been yelling. "Now answer my question." Alexis looked to Tony, who was watching the exchange with interest.

"Well," She started quietly, she tried to look away again, but Pepper turned her head so that she was looking her in the eyes. "I told Mr. Stark that I wanted to talk but he went to the workshop any-ways and I said that I would drink it but he didn't care and left so I did it so that he'd HAVE to talk to me and not just drink." Alexis took a deep breath after blurting out the long sentance. "But then I just poured it down the drain cause I really didn't think of that first.. then you came in and now everyone hates me.." She trailed off sadly. Pepper straightened and let out a small sigh before looking back to her boss.

"All right Alexis, we'll talk about your punishment in the morning." The girl just nodded her head, worried about saying anything that might get her in even more trouble then she was currently in. "I'll go sign release papers and bring the car around. You can bring out Alexis. Mr. Stark?"

"I thought I was in charge here," Tony had a hint f a smirk on his face, though he was trying not to make light of the situation. Pepper gave him a look, one brow raised as she waited for him to speak. "That sounds fine, Ms. Potts." He cleared his throat as he looked away from the not too happy woman. She walked briskly out of the room, just as the nurse entered. Alexis had a suspicion she had been right outside listening the whole time.

"Okay, Miss Alexis," The older woman said as she stepped over to the child. "Hold out your arm so I can take the IV out." She grabbed a band-aid off of a nearby counter. Alexis closed her eyes tightly and did as she was requested, wincing as the needle slid out of her arm. "All done." The nurse said as she put the band-aid in its place. "All right, Mr. Stark, you can take your daughter home."

"Thank you," Tony said as he lifted Alexis off of the bed and set her on the ground. "Lets go, Alexis." She followed him out of the room as the nurse cleaned up and prepared for whoever might use the room next.

"I'm tired," she said softly as she followed behind him. She was struggling to stay awake and rubbed at her eyes sleepily. She looked up to the man who had taken her in, he towered far above her, he seemed so big from three feet off the ground.

"It's pretty late, we'll be home soon," Tony said without glancing back. He was busy thinking about everything that had happened during the day. He hadn't had too much time to earlier due to the trip to the hospital. But he was still struggling with the thought of the child he took in being an adult.

"Will you carry me?" Alexis asked softly, and when Tony didn't reply she assumed he hadn't heard her. She sighed and continued to drag her feet behind him. He stopped and turned to look at her, she had never asked to be carried before, or held, or any request that a normal child might have. She gazed up at him and tentatively lifted her arms in a gesture to be picked up. Tony hesitated a moment before reaching forward and scooping her into him arms. Neither of them said anything as he began to walk down the hall again, both unsure of what to do.

Alexis gave up, too tired to think. She threw her arms around his shoulders and buried her head against the crook of his neck. Breathing in the scent that was only him, she felt safe if only for a short time. Tony tensed as the little girl cuddled up to him, he slowly reached up and ran his hand over the shaggy mop of hair on her head. In an attempt to both smooth it down and to provide some comfort to the child. He exited the hospital, hoping that the media wouldn't know about the trip for at least a few days. Pepper was waiting at the entrance, car running. He opened the back door and put the already fast asleep girl into the seat and buckled her in before closing the door and getting into the passenger seat.

"Pepper, there's something I have to tell you.." Tony said as he glanced back at the child, making sure she was really asleep.

"Tony, I'm tired, can't it wait for the morning?" The red head sighed as she drove them both to the mansion. She wasn't looking forward to the drive back to her own apartment.

"Not really, I mean.. I'm not sure how to deal with it." He sighed. " I need your opinion." Pepper glanced at him briefly, a bit surprised. She nodded her head, he sighed again as he thought of the best way to explain it.