I checked my watch; I'd been sitting outside Tony Stark's Malibu Mansion for twenty minutes. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed by the view and architecture, it was a remarkable building, but what I was less impressed by was how long Tasha was taking. With a sigh I dismounted my Harley and strolled inside, looking about with my hands in the pockets of my biking leathers. "Tasha?" I called, I gave a sharp whistle, "Hey, Romanoff!"

In the next room I entered, Phil stood centrally and was addressing the man I recognised as eccentric billionaire, Tony Stark. Natasha stood off to the side, arms folded, serious face on. Phil had his back to me as he spoke, "If you attempt to leave or play any games, I will taze you and watch Supernanny while you drool into the carpet. Okay?"

I smirked to myself while Stark responded, "I think I got it yeah"

I chuckled, "Easy there Agent, it's not like he stole your Captain America cards" I walked forward to stand at Phil's side.

He gave me a disapproving look but followed it up with a smile. "What are you doing here, Amanda?"

"Looking for Tasha, and hey, look, I found her." I smirked and tossed my keys over to Nat. "I'm taking it you've been put on babysitting duties?"

Stark gave me a long hard stare, "Shouldn't he be babysitting you? I mean, come on, you're like, what seventeen tops?"

"Twenty six - but the compliment is appreciated, Mr Stark" I quipped with a smile.

Nat smirked, "Thanks" she played with the keys in her hand.

"No problem, just look after my baby"

She had started walking away, "Always do"

"You better"

I looked between Phil and Stark – Phil was used to my love of my beautiful Harley, but Stark kept studying me, like he was trying to figure me out – at first I thought it was just about my comment about my bike, but then it sort of clicked that it was something more.

"So," Stark mused, "You know the secret assassin that's been hanging around my house? I've found out a lot about her recently – multi-lingual, jujitsu, judo, boxing, weapons training, amongst other things… soooo" he leant forward "what can you do?"

A wide grin crept over my face, "Tony, honey, there's a lot I can do – and the things I can't do aren't worth talking about" Suddenly Stark yelped and leapt to his feet, spinning round to stare in horror at the red hot seat of the chair he'd been sitting in moments before.

He stared at me, then back to the chair, then back to me, "You…?" he squeaked.

I winked at him before setting off to make myself at home. "The Supernanny thing, by the way," I added, "He's not kidding"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I checked in on Stark once he'd come back from visiting Pepper Pots. I'd gotten myself ice-tea just moments before he'd returned. Stark flopped into the nearest chair, from the doorway I laughed, "Long day?"

He rolled his head and looked over at me, "I see you've made yourself at home"

"I figured you could afford to loose one glass" I said as I went to sit down. I folded my legs underneath me and looked into my glass – my beverage was cool, it just wasn't cold. I ran my finger around the rim of the glass as I made ice-tea ice-cubes out of my drink; when three peculiarly perfect cubes clinked together I stopped.

Stark leant forward scrutinising both the glass and myself, "How?"

"Hmm?" I looked up.

"How did you do it? How did you nearly roast my ass earlier too?"

I laughed, "Magic"

"No, seriously"

"No – seriously"

He sat back with a huff, "Fine, I get it – S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets and stuff. Fine, don't tell me" he pouted like a child.

"Okay" I drank my ice-tea with a knowing smirk.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"I've been reassigned, Director Fury wants me in New Mexico" Phil said.

I nodded, "And I've to stay with Stark?"

"For the moment"

"Oh, alright then" I sighed sarcastically.

"I need to go" Phil quickly hugged me and kissed me on the cheek – code for 'I don't know when I'll be back'.

"Be safe" I whispered, then he had to leave.

Stark raised an eyebrow in my direction, "So what, is he your Dad or something?"

With a smirk I replied, "More or less"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I had no real idea what Stark was doing but I assisted anyway. He twisted the mirror to redirect the laser beam and I absorbed the energy with thick ice in my palms, so that he wouldn't bring the building crashing down around us. I walked sideways as Stark continued to turn the beam, focusing on my footing.

"Okay, go" Stark yelled.

I dived to the side and out of the way as the new core began to glow and give off radiation. "Bloody Hell Stark"

The glowing toned down and the animated voice of Stark's AI said "Congratulations, you have successfully created a new element"

I patted him on the shoulder, "Well done"

"Thank you for your extremely beneficial contribution" he smirked.

"Appreciated" Suddenly my phone beeped in my pocket.

*NEW MESSAGE*

The text had a set of coordinates that I'd to give to the pilot who was about to pick me up in about thirty seconds. "Looks like I'm off"

He raised an eyebrow, "So you help me create a new element then don't stay to celebrate? What's the point in being my live-in if you're not going to stay for a drink?"

"You have no idea how much I'd love that, but the life of an agent leaves little time for drinking with billionaires" I made my way past the mash up of apparatus and headed for the stairs. "Good luck Stark"

"So what's the chances of me seeing you again?"

I laughed, "Further calculations are needed"