Hi readers! Here is the next chapter for this story. I've been working really hard so I hope it shows and you guys enjoy reading this! I also wanted to thank those of you who reviewed! I appreciate you guys taking the time to say something! =)
Now, on with the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers or the characters associated with the movie
Silver would be lying if she said she wasn't incredibly nervous.
It had been two weeks since she had last talked to Pepper Potts and had hesitantly accepted her new job as the Tony Stark's new assistant. The offer had been very sudden and unpredicted, but the 29-year-old had taken the job for a few reasons. She could use the job experience and the change of scenery. She had nothing holding her back to Chicago-as much as she loved her city-and she felt it was time to move on to better things. Pepper had informed her of all the changes she would have to go through concerning her lifestyle. If she were to take the job she would not only be an assistant to a business billionaire but she'd also be assistant to a member of the Avengers, the team that had saved the world from aliens just months before. She was informed about S.H.I.E.L.D. and the part they would end up playing in her life, which was a big one she had discovered. Though there had been a lot for her to absorb, Silver already knew her answer. She packed up all of her valuables and jumped on the plane Pepper had sent for her that would take her to her new home.
Manhattan, New York.
Silver stared out the window of the jet that had been sent to pick her up. She smiled to herself as she shook her head and took a sip of the water cup she had in her hand. She glanced at the few men dressed in black suits as they sat almost motionlessly, not even acknowledging her existence. She was alright with that though. She'd rather not try and make small talk; she was too anxious for that.
Actually, she was a bit more curious at the moment.
The entire world knew of Tony and Pepper's relationship. If it wasn't from the couple, random people would start rumors and they caught on with ease, spreading like a wildfire. People were rather surprised that the two had lasted as long as they had, especially since Tony was notorious for his playboy habits, but there was clearly something in Pepper that had been different; Silver was just wondering what had changed. Not that it was any of her business. She actually felt bad for the two. There was no such thing as privacy for the famous, and Tony Stark was definitely famous.
The plane landed smoothly and soon Silver was off, smoothing her gray, knee-length pencil skirt and white blouse out. She squinted through the sunlight of the afternoon as she watched a man with much darker skin than her own approach her with a welcoming and business-like smile across his lips. He held his hand out to her as she took it in her own and shook it firmly.
"My name's James Rhodes. I'm here to escort you to your new home," he explained as the copper blonde glanced around the several FBI looking men around her that stood the perimeter of the landing site. Rhodes chuckled as he motioned for Silver to follow.
"It's just a precautionary thing. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s very efficient with their work."
"So I see," Silver replied back playfully as she watched a black SUV drive up and stop in front of them. She smiled and nodded thanks as James opened the back door for her and followed inside after her. As the car began to drive down the street and meld with the other cars in the highway, the new citizen of New York couldn't help but stare out the window like a child at a toy store.
"Is this your first time in New York?" James asked curiously as Silver glanced at him and nodded.
"I've lived my whole life in Chicago, so I mean, it's not all that different, but definitely in size it sure is," she stated with a chuckle as her companion nodded and released his own chuckle.
"You'll get used to it. And anyways, you'll probably end up being too busy to even notice much about the city." Silver knew that. Tony was a business man and a superhero, which meant he was going to be busy, which meant that in turn, she was going to be busy.
She hadn't quite mentally prepared herself for that.
"So, where exactly are we headed?" the blonde inquired as James smirked slightly.
"The Avengers Tower." Silver's emerald eyes widened slightly as she felt her jaw slightly fall open. "That's where you'll most likely reside while you work under Tony."
Everything was so surreal to Silver. She would have never guessed that the famous tower would become her probable new home. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing because as the car drove longer, the more excited and nervous she got. She wasn't sure how well she was going to do. Was she going to end up actually meeting the Avengers? Would they like her? Would Tony even like her?
Taking a deep breath, Silver relaxed and sighed as she leaned against the leather of the SUV backseat. She stared at out the window for the duration of the car ride before her breath got caught in the back of her throat. She blinked a few times and sat up tall as she stared up at the highest skyscraper of the city. Its shadow loomed over a few other buildings and the street, its presence definitely standing out to everyone.
"Welcome to the Avengers Tower." James watched as Silver gapped at the building, which had been finished with its rebuilding period after Loki's attack on Manhattan. He watched as the blonde cleared her throat and smiled, nodding her head as she straightened up. He then turned to the driver of the window, who was of course a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and mumbled something to him.
Silver watched as the window to James' seat and the driver's seat rolled down and the two faced out completely, a camera suddenly appearing in front of their faces. "Welcome, Sir." The unsuspecting woman jumped as she pointed at the thin air.
"Wh-Who said that?"
"I believe you are referring to me, ma'am." Once again, Silver was shocked.
"This is JARVIS," Rhodes explained as he chuckled at the woman's reaction. "He's Tony's personal A.I."
"As in Artificial Intelligence?"
"That's correct," the accented voice stated. Silver released a short, astonished laugh as she shook her head.
"He works Tony's entire system, including his security." James added, "Which means we're going to have to download you into the system so JARVIS can let you in and out without trouble."
"Ms. Potts has already copied Ms. Livingston's information into the mainframe, sir," JARVIS stated as Silver blinked, the SUV making its way up the ramp.
"Glad to know Pepper has everything together."
"She seems really good at this," Silver commented. She hesitantly continued as she locked eyes with James. "So why is she trying to find someone else to do a job she can do so perfectly?" The military man blinked before his eyes softened. He sighed as he shook his head and for a second, Silver had almost regretted asking. Perhaps she had pushed too far.
"I think you'll find out why soon enough," James merely stated as he chuckled and shook his head. Silver blinked, not having expected that answer, before she watched James step out of the now motionless car. She quickly followed suit, the small heel of her flats clicking against the cement of the garage.
"Where shall I leave you, sir?" JARVIS asked, surprising Silver once again. She sighed and shook her head; she was going to have to try and get used to that somehow.
"Where's Pepper?" Rhodes asked curiously.
"The recreational floor, I believe."
"Take us there then."
"Right away."
The elevator was ridden up in a comfortable silence as Silver tried to calm her nerves. She talked herself through the ride, telling herself to keep calm if she saw any of the super heroes; the last thing she wanted to do was come off as a teenage girl at her first concert. Still, she couldn't help but feel giddy inside. God, she hated that word.
The car came to a smooth stop, the doors sliding open and revealing an illuminated room. The sun shined through the windows that made up the entire wall, the city's skyline coming into view. The room was modern looking, set up with a sitting room and a large flat screen. There was a hall right beside the wall with the TV screen, a few rooms residing in the corridor. Then across the sitting room was the kitchen, all counters and appliances set up neatly where they seemed to belong. Across the kitchen was a dining table, big enough to fit at least eight people. Everything was elegant, yet there was somehow a touch of character to everything.
"You're here!" Silver blinked as she looked over and watched Pepper stand up from the table, blackberry in hand. She smiled widely and watched as what seemed to be two good friends hugged tightly, warm smiles on their faces.
"Good to see you," James said as Pepper nodded, the two releasing each other and smiling at each other.
"You too," Pepper said softly. Silver's eyes softened as she watched a solemn gleam appeared in the strawberry blonde's eyes, like she had lost something.
Silver had a feeling she knew what it was.
Pepper cleared her throat as she turned to Silver as she opened her arms, welcoming the 29-year-old into the embrace like they had been friends for years. "How was your flight?"
"Good! Slightly jet lagged, but good," Silver said as she hugged her employer back and sighed.
"So, where's Tony?" James asked as Pepper rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Late, like always," she stated as the dark skinned man chuckled.
"Not surprised there."
"Oh, this is for you." Silver looked over and stared down at the folder Pepper was holding out to her. "It's just basic information about Tony that you'll end up needing. If you need to know something about him or have any questions and can't get a hold of me, just look at this folder. This is also the personal phone he'll use to contact you." The copper blonde blinked, slightly surprised that she was getting another phone for the occasion.
"He's going to be calling you on this a lot. Don't be surprised if it's for ridiculous errands-"
"Hey! I resent that." The three in the kitchen turned and watched as an oil smudged man made his way out from the elevator. He wiped his hands on his jeans as he stood beside James, who smiled at his friend.
"See you've been working again."
Silver wasn't sure what she had been expecting from Tony Stark. She had seen the man in many news stories and articles, she had even watched a few of his televised conferences, but standing before the man now, something was different. He was still devilishly handsome, much more in person even, and he was a fit man for his age, mid-thirties maybe? Something was missing though. She couldn't quite name it.
"Most of my requests are always necessary."
"Don't kid yourself, Stark."
"Who invited you anyways, Rhodey?" For a second, it had returned, the spark that had been missing from Tony's face. There was a playful and lively shine in his dark brown eyes that had appeared as he interacted with James. Silver could tell they were close. She could tell by the way her new boss slightly smiled. It seemed real, not like the forced and dramatized expressions he used for the camera.
"Tony, I wanted you up here so you could meet your new assistant." At that, there was a short pause. It was almost unnoticeable, but Silver had been looking for it. She watched as Tony and Pepper's eyes locked together, and she knew that right then and there, whatever had been between Tony and Pepper was done.
"Tony, meet Silver." Immediately, Silver began to straighten up as she smiled and cleared her throat. She tried to hide her fear and anxiety, telling herself to just breathe and try not to trip over her words. The LAST thing she needed to do was make an ass of herself in front of her future boss. She held her hand out to the man as he hesitated but reached out and shook her hand with his. She watched as his eyes roamed down her body and she suddenly found herself feeling extra anxious.
"It's a pleasure meeting you."
"I'm sure it is," Tony shot back. "I know I'm pretty good-looking, but I didn't know I was drop dead, have-a-trail-a-drool-going-down-my-chin good looking."
A light blush appeared across Silver's cheeks as she immediately pulled her hand away from Tony's trying to cover the nonexistent trail of saliva. She blinked a few times after realizing that there actually hadn't been any drool from her lips coming down and she narrowed her eyes at the man, who seemed to be entertained by her quick reaction.
"Tony," Pepper said as she gave him a warning gaze.
"Right, sorry. I'll be good." The billionaire held his hand out once more as he nodded his head. "Tony Stark, your new boss." Silver hesitated before she firmly grabbed ahold of Tony's hand and shook it.
"Silver Livingston."
"Really? Silver? JARVIS, remind me to look at rainbow shades for names of my future kids."
"You've got a couple years to go before that happens." James cut in, saving Silver the trouble of having to deal with the situation. She watched for a second as the two men in the room interacted with each other, sharing witty banter amongst themselves. She glanced over at Pepper and her smile disappeared as the CEO stared at her former boyfriend with a look that was almost heartbreaking. Had Silver felt a bit more comfortable with the situation she would have spoken up, but like the saying goes, some things are better left unsaid.
"So, Silver," Pepper started as she turned to the new P.A. "You'll be staying at the tower with everyone, and trust me, it's not a problem," she stated as if she was reading her mind. "Everyone's really great, so don't worry about them," the CEO said with a smile. Silver smiled back, feeling slightly better. If Pepper thought everyone was nice, then what were the chances she wouldn't? Then again, she dated Tony…
"If you need anything at all, my number is already put into your new phone. I'll be travelling to Europe for some business, but you'll probably have your hands full dealing with Tony."
"You make me sound like a child." Silver looked over and watched as James and her boss tuned back into their conversation.
"Well, maybe if you didn't act like a man-child, I wouldn't make you sound like one," Pepper shot back with a playful smile on her face. Tony's eyes softened for a second before he shrugged.
"She's got a point," James added as the genius narrowed his eyes at his long-term friend.
"Who's side are you on?"
"Don't make me choose."
"Traitor." James gave Tony's shoulder a pat as he shook his head and laughed slightly.
"Now, most of your things are already here, so all you have to do is go through and make sure everything is organized," Pepper said as Silver nodded. "And I know it's a little awkward that we have to give your information to S.H.I.E.L.D.-"
"I completely get it," Silver assured with a smile. Pepper relaxed as she looked at her replacement. She sighed and nodded as she picked up her purse and nodded.
"Don't worry," Silver said. "I have everything under control."
If only she knew.
Pepper nodded as she smiled, though it was strained. "If you need anything too, don't hesitate to ask Tony. He'll be happy to help, right?" Tony rolled his eyes at that as he nodded his head. Pepper smiled, satisfied enough with his answer.
"Well, duty calls. I need to get out of here," James said as the three looked over at the man.
"Already?"
"Unlike some people, I've actually got to work."
"Hey! Saving the world counts as work!" James chuckled as Tony smirked, the two sharing a warm and friendly handshake.
"You've got to stop by more often. I'll give you a personal tour of the city."
"I'll take you up on that sometime."
"You mind giving me a lift?" Pepper asked as James looked over.
"You sure?"
"I have a flight I need to catch to the U.K. in a little bit. Do you mind?"
"No problem," James stated with a friendly smile. Pepper smiled back before she turned to Tony. For a moment, they had forgotten anyone else was in the room with them and James and Silver had quickly taken notice to that. The two quickly turned to each other, making their way towards the sitting area and engaging in a conversation so they wouldn't accidentally eaves drop.
The couple that once was stared at each other for a moment before Tony cleared his throat and locked his hands behind his back. "I trust you're keeping my company from drowning?" Pepper rolled her eyes as she chuckled and nodded.
"I think I'm doing a pretty good job."
"That's good."
"…Try to stay out of trouble," the former assistant said, almost pleaded, as she stared at Tony with broken eyes. The brunette found his heart clenching as he stared at her face. It was almost painful for him as he stood before her because at the end of the day, he was the reason she looked so hurt.
He shook the thought off as he shrugged. "I won't make any promises."
Pepper chuckled and sighed as she nodded her head. A more stern expression came over Pepper as her motherly instincts began to kick in. "Don't give Silver any trouble."
"I won't."
"I'm being serious, Tony." Said man sighed as he nodded his head and motioned for Pepper to get going.
"Don't you have a flight to catch?" Pepper sighed as she shook her head. She turned to leave but stopped. She turned back to Tony, confusing the engineer for a moment. His chocolate brown eyes widened as he felt thin arms wrap around his neck tightly, a frail body pressed softly against his.
"Goodbye." Before Tony could register the embrace, Pepper was already halfway across the room, leaving the man in her dust. His chest felt as if it was being crushed as his body trembled for a moment. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He wished she had given him some sort of sign, then he would have at least tried to memorize every curve of her body, every scent, every touch.
Now it was over.
"Ready to go?" Pepper asked as she approached James and Silver. The military man nodded as they began to make their way to the elevator doors. Silver waved as Pepper looked back at her with a smile. She smiled back at the strawberry blonde and gave her a reassuring nod before Pepper nodded back to her.
"Try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone," Rhodey said as Tony smirked and nodded his head.
"Tell that to Fury."
"Alright. I told Silver she'd have a few days to settle in and unpack, so try not to bother her. And if she needs anything try and be helpful. I know Bruce and Steve will probably be here so they'll definitely give her a hand but-"
"Pepper. Breathe," Tony warned as Pepper shook her head and chuckled.
"Right."
"Just…try not to worry about me, alright?" Pepper's eyes widened for a moment before she relaxed and nodded, her eyes falling to the ground. Tony closed his eyes before he collected himself and looked back at his friends. He forced a smile and watched as the doors slid shut, leaving him to stare at his skewed reflection. He stood in a long silence, almost forgetting about the woman still standing in the room with him. He turned and looked over at Silver as she stood by the window, staring out at the city below.
Now was his chance to finally examine his newest assistant.
She was a blonde, though it wasn't the kind of blonde Tony was accustomed to. He was more used to platinum blondes with highlights that made their hair look a bit more dried out, not that he really cared what kind of hair a woman had. Silver's hair was slightly different though, almost faded. And unlike many of the blondes Tony knew, Silver also had dark green eyes instead of blue. She had a toned form and was slightly paler, probably being a good four or five inches shorter than Tony himself.
It wasn't about what she looked like though. Tony could care less about that. He was more curious about what she was like. He wanted to know just how far he could push her, just how far she would be willing to go for this job, for him. There was only one way for Tony to really find that out and as he smirked to himself, he was sure he'd find his answer soon enough.
"So, I'm guessing you're going to want to know where you're staying." Tony stated, catching Silver off guard. She turned from the window and smiled politely as she locked her hands behind her back.
"As long as I have a place to stay, I'm not too worried, sir." Tony nodded at that reply as he locked eyes with the woman for a moment. They stared for a second before Tony cleared his throat and turned to make his way to the elevator.
"If you need anything, JARVIS will help you out." Silver had almost forgotten about the A.I. "I'll be in the lab if you really need me."
"Again?" Silver inquired curiously as Tony didn't bother looking back at her.
"Heroes never rest-or something like that," Tony said as he waved over his shoulder. He pressed the down button and waited for the doors to slide open. He turned to Silver for a moment before a small smirk appeared across his lips.
"You know, you've got some big shoes to fill," he called out. "You think you can handle that?" Silver blinked before she hesitantly nodded and smiled.
"I'll do my best."
"We'll see what you're best is, won't we?" The new assistant blinked as she watched Tony step on to the elevator. He smirked as he nodded to the blonde. "Good luck!" And with that, the doors swept shut.
Silver stood silently for a moment as she let everything sink in. She let the last few weeks till that very second replay in her head before she turned and made her way to the window again. She stared for a moment before she closed her eyes and let her forehead lightly fall into the window.
"What did I just get myself into?"
