It was official. Anthony Stark was the biggest douchebag on the planet.

He awoke that morning, hungover, in his apartment in LA. Tony can vaguely recall it was Wednesday. What had he been doing last night? It was something about party...Tony had been with some friends getting drunk. He couldn't remember why they all went out for drinks on a Tuesday, maybe it was just another one of their 'drink because we're not getting in trouble' things. His coffee machine at least worked, but Tony had used up the last of his creamer yesterday so what was even the point?

Tony had graduated from MIT a few months ago, so he had nothing to do with his 'formative years' beside using his fake ID to buy drinks for his buddies. It was either that, or listen to his dad complain about how he was wasting his potential. Tony didn't see the problem. He was having fun. He didn't want to end up like his dad, with a huge stick up his ass and making his son live up to Captain America. Just thinking about that humanized American flag made Tony want to be blackout drunk again.

So what if he partied these years? When his dad died, Tony would still be named head of the Stark company. His mother would never let his dad write him out like that, not without calling Tony first. Tony definitely had issues with his dad, but his mom was always someone he knew liked him.

At this point, he was just an ordinary douchebag.

Until Tony went to his apartment door, looking for the morning edition (He liked the funnies, and hoped to read something embarrassing about his dad). Until he saw the wrapped up thing on his 'doorstep'. Until it started crying, loudly.

Tony, having no idea what a baby was doing here, checked the hallway. If someone had dropped this off, they were long gone now. Who would even leave it here? It couldn't be his, who even knew he lived here? You know, besides his mom and friends...and the dozens of one night stands Tony had since moving in. Okay a lot of people knew where he lived.

The baby wailed again. He should get that under control first.

Tony brought the baby into his apartment. It didn't even come with one of those baby carrier things, so he put it on the couch.

That was when he saw the note.

'Tony' It said on the front.

He'll admit, he was dreading whatever the letter was saying. The son of the billionaire could already tell it was something he wouldn't like. Tony could already see his dad's angry expression and his mom's disappointed one.

Tony knew he just had to rip off the bandaid. He picked up the letter, all the while the baby still cried. Didn't they have an off switch?

'Asshole'

Oh yeah, this letter was for him. He was worried for a second there.

'Asshole, you probably have no idea who I am. I was just another one of your conquests, so it doesn't really matter does it? Anyway, guess what, that's your daughter. No way am I going to be responsible for your spawn. It'll probably be just like you. She was born on Sunday, four in the freaking morning. Good luck sleeping around with this.

Signed, Eff you Stark'

Tony dropped the letter, unsure of what to do now. He looked over the still crying kid, and it was that moment he became the biggest douchebag on the planet.

He didn't want to keep her either.

==NM==

Unfortunately for Tony, his father wouldn't give him that option. Tony had to raise the little Stark, and still go through college. It was the least he could do after he was stupid enough to get some girl pregnant (if Tony did the math right it was around Christmas break. It was a huge party at the frat house, and he couldn't remember for the life of him who he had gone home with)

Thanks to his mother the baby at least had a name. Rebecca Maren Stark. Tony ended up calling her Becky, much to his father's irritation.

"Not even three months his own and he gets a girl pregnant." Howard Stark had said to his wife, Tony and Becky. Well, Becky was chewing on her fingers, but she was in the room. "What were you thinking? Why didn't you use protection?"

"Probably was too drunk, since I'm such a degenerate anyway." Tony said sarcastically. His mother's look shut him up. "Or...or maybe it broke. I can't remember most-"

"And now he's partying all night!" Howard argued. "Honestly, Anthony, could you grow up?"

Tony smirked. Oh, he was gonna get it. "Hey Dad, watch it. Becky's in the room."

"Boys." Maria sighed in exasperation. Did they have to do this every time they were in the same room? She looked over to her granddaughter (now chewing on her blanket) with worry.

Howard glared angrily at his son. "You're a Stark. You have an a lot to live up to-"

"So you keep reminding me." Tony mumbled dryly.

His father chose to ignore that. "You can't go screwing it up by getting girls pregnant! Especially because now you have no idea who her mother is! Now she's left you with the kid, and you're going to raise her."

"Can't you guys? I've got a life!" Tony argued. He wasn't ready to be a father, not by a long shot. Kids brought you down, looked what happened to his dad. Tony didn't know what he'd do if he ended up like his dad. Or worse, what Becky would do if Tony ended up like his dad.

Maria felt the need to help her son. She could see him struggling with this, it was a lot of responsibility to take in just a few days. Maybe this was just the thing he needed to help grow up. She loved her son, but even she could see his flaws taking him over. She didn't want to think about what kind of man he'd be if this went on.

"Anthony, please." She tried to assure her son. He paused in his argument with Howard, looking at his mother with annoyed but respectful eyes. "We know this is a shock. It's a lot of responsibility to take on all at once. But could you at least try? Be a father to her?"

Tony couldn't say no to his mom. He dreaded to think of the amount of guilt tripping he would get if he gave up Becky like her mother had.

He would try. For his mom, he would try.

Plus, imagine how pissed his dad wild be if Tony could pull this off.

With that thought, he was sold on it. "Okay. Deal. I'll do it."

==NM==

Tony Stark's next few years were the most aggravating of his life. Babies were so demanding. Always needed their diaper changed, or their clothes, or sleep, or no sleep, or to play and crawl and just put their mouth's on everything. He lost count of how many times he took away an invention because Becky was teething on it.

But he kept on. His mom wanted him to raise her, to be a father to Little Beaky Becky. Tony knew that Becky loved the visits from Nana (which Maria had been so happy to be called)

Then she died on the side of the road.

Tony remembered the night his parents died in the car wreck. One of her nannies (Tony forgot just how many Becky had) took her in for the next month. The new head of Stark Industries had work to do before he could take over the company, and raising a two-year-old was kinda not in the plan.

He'd given her dozens of nannies (some were the hot ones, some were the old ladies that had knitting circles and loved bird watching) over the course of her childhood. Tony didn't remember sending her off to her first day of preschool, or her last. He was too busy now running Stark Industries to do much else for Little Becky.

One day, out of nowhere, Tony saw the nanny was teaching a seven year old to bake in his kitchen.

Another day, an eight year old had learned that the TV had a remote and that cartoons were a thing. (A loud thing)

Another day, a nine year old befriended JARVIS, and made a robot Barbie doll.

Another day, a ten year old was wearing glasses and working on geometry.

Tony did remember sending her to boarding school. It was probably something a nanny had said in passing, and Tony thought it was the best idea he'd ever heard. He could faintly remember telling her it was like Hogwarts for cool kids. (The girl liked the nerd books, one of the nannies must've given them to her)

When she graduated at sixteen, Tony was finishing up his latest project at Stark Industries. He knew Pepper had gone, because Tony couldn't find the redhead that weekend. Becky was in her last year at MIT, currently. Or, maybe it was high school? He could barely keep track of her on a good day.

Then came time for his Amogee Award...or whatever that stupid thing was. He didn't care. Pepper had told him it was a big deal, so Tony guessed it was important.

When he went to bed that night, he had one last thought.

Dad was right. I couldn't do it.