Whooee! Long time since I updated, but hopefully I'll make it up to you all with a (relatively) long chapter.
A reminder: I don't have anyone to edit these before I post them, so any mistakes I will apologize for in advance.
Yes, I know, another filler chapter. Yes, I know, we want action.
But come on... it is an exciting, drama filled day!
SORRY! I'll try to get to the good stuff soon!
(Let's pretend for a second I give my chapters names)
Chapter Three:
One hell of a day
--
"This report is most pleasing, Mr. Stark. You have yet again produced a successful company from near nothing." The round businessman shuffled his reports together, "And Mr. Guigabeck, your position will be promoted by the end of the week. Thank you for everything."
With that, the stout man shook Greg Guigabeck's hand, nodded to Tony (who was reclining in his chair, a brooding expression on his face), and exited the room.
"You realize you just made a company about a million dollars more rich."
Tony nodded absentmindedly.
"Sure sure…"
Greg sighed, smiling. "Tony, if you manage all of this with your head in the clouds, I would love to see what you can do when you put your mind to it."
"Like build a suit? Like become Iron Man?" Tony straightened in his chair, and Greg smiled lightly. "I became a super-hero just because I had to think about something for more than a few minutes."
"Amazing what happens when you actually try, eh?" Greg closed his briefcase. "I'm fairly certain you are free for the rest of the day. Why don't you go home and try to invent a terraforming machine?"
Tony eyed his business partner, his mind running through possible blueprints for a moment. When he broke from his thoughts, the conference room was empty.
And he realized Greg was joking.
"Oh sure" he muttered, sending his papers skittering into a loose pile, "play tricks on the rich genius who just landed you a promotion."
As he walked out of the office and into the elevator, he pulled out it cell and was about to press the speed dial number for Pepper when he remembered she was gone.
Frustrated, he punched out his own home number, hoping Celia was still there.
"Mr. Stark." Jarvis greeted tonelessly.
"Hey Jarvis, ol' buddy. Why don't you put the human on the phone for me?"
"Miss Turner? Of course."
Tony waited, tapping his foot slightly as the elevator doors slid open and he moved towards his office.
"Mr. Stark?" Her voice was puzzled.
"Hello Ms. Turner. Would you be a dear and check for any lunch appointments for the day?" He slid into his chair and tapped his way onto his computer.
"Certainly Mr. Stark. Uhm…" She paused, "couldn't you have asked Jarvis? I'm not complaining, but he did answer the phone…"
Tony blinked, "I guess I'm used to asking a human about my day planning." Shaking his head, he pressed, "My lunch?"
" Hmm… it looks like you have a follow up appointment with your doctor at four… but your day looks open other than that. Why do you ask?"
He frowned, glaring at something on the screen.
"I wanted to know if I would have some time to myself, to be perfectly honest. Be home soon."
And he hung up without so much as a goodbye.
"He's very much like my father in that aspect." Celia whispered to Jarvis back at the Stark household. "Never a proper goodbye. Just 'Click!' and you're left with a soundless phone."
Jarvis chuckled.
Tony pulled his lip for a moment, before bringing a memory stick from his drawer and saving several files to it.
"Should I leave, Jarvis?" Celia asked, Swiffer-mopping the floor.
"I doubt Mr. Stark has a preference either way. He usually does his work in his labs and shops downstairs."
It was then that Celia reached the stairs that curved downward, and realized they were far dirtier than the other floors.
"Ms. Potts doesn't normally clean those, however, she does not use a, ahem, 'Swiffer WetJet' either."
Celia raised an eyebrow. "She probably never heard of them. I find them extremely useful." The wetjet plopped onto the first stair, and she continued cleaning.
"Do you like working for Mr. Stark, Jarvis?"
There was a pause, and Celia stopped mopping and blinked.
"Jarvis?"
"Mr. Stark created me, Ms. Turner. Serving him is my sole purpose."
Looking down at her mop, Celia pressed, "Yes, but do you enjoy working for him." Silence. "Certainly he gave you joy sensors?"
"Well… I suppose I do enjoy some things." His usually toneless voice took on a far more thoughtful sound. "However, I have never been asked if I enjoyed working for Mr. Stark."
"That's silly." Celia muttered, furrowing her brow as she worked on a particular grease spot, "you have so much personality, it only seems right that you would have an opinion on who you work for."
"I…I do enjoy it," came the final response, "He is fair to me, even if snappy sometimes. And Ms. Potts is almost as delightful as you."
Celia paused, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "You are a delight as well, Mr. Jarvis."
The computer hummed, and Celia went back to mopping.
--
Tony zoomed through the front rooms, skittering to a halt in the living area.
"Celia?" He called, looking around.
More confusedly, "Jarvis?"
Giggling came from the staircase, and he moved towards them in a daze.
"Goodness, how did you ever get so dirty?"
Another giggle.
Tony took the stairs two at a time, sliding to a stop at the bottom and punching in the code for the door before looking up.
Celia was cleaning one of his hapless aids, smiling broadly. Light music was playing in the background, and her foot was tapping with the beat. The robot undergoing the cleaning was shifting, opening and closing, bending and twisting, aiding the cleaning process.
Dumbstruck, and at a loss for words for once in his life, Tony stepped into his shop.
His footsteps were finally heard, and Celia froze, her face dropping the smile instantly. She leapt to her feet, and the robot she was working on squeaked and rolled away, probably hiding.
"Mr. Stark! I am so sorry! I was just cleaning the staircase there and Jarvis asked if I knew how to clean grease and I did and so he asked if I would like to see the robots that helped you build things and I was so intrigued I completely forgot that you would be upset if I invaded your work space and I would completely understand if you wished me to leave it was completely my fault and I should have known-"
"Jarvis?" Tony struggled out, even as Celia inhaled for the first time in a full minute and began to gush about how she was extremely embarrassed and how she didn't normally snoop in peoples houses and how she did have manners-
There was a whirr and a click and Jarvis finally answered. "Mr. Stark? You're back? I was just-"
"Jarvis, I…"
Jarvis must have then realized that Celia was still running her mouth in embarrassment. "Ah, I see. Ahem, Mr. Stark, it is my fault Ms. Turner is in your workshop."
Tony regained some composure, noting that Celia was on the verge of tears. "I guessed that much. How should I…" He waved his hand at her, unsure of what to do.
"Ms. Turner, it is quite alright."
Celia stopped talking for a brief moment, and Tony leapt for the opening.
"Really, Celia, I'm not upset. I was just… surprised."
She blinked, eyes still wide. "Aren't… aren't you going to fire me?"
Tony grinned, showing teeth, finally back on his feet. "Why would I do that? Did you see something I would not have wanted you to?"
She turned white as a sheet. "I- no sir- of course not- I mean I wasn't snooping just cleaning and-"
"She didn't see anything, Mr. Stark. I assure you." Jarvis interrupted before she could get going again.
Tony moved further into the room, still smiling at her. She blinked back.
"I… still I apologize, sir." She managed, seemingly regaining composure. "I should not have barged into your personal space."
"You can get as personal as you wish with me, Ms. Turner, I assure you." He replied, his smile turning sexy in an instant.
She turned a lovely shade of pink. "Mr. Stark, I don't… that isn't…"
With a smirk, Tony peeled off his jacket. He looked back up at her, eyes sparkling. "You might even like it."
Struck by his charm, she turned darker pink, the shade very becoming on her tan skin.
Of course, he told her so.
"Mr. Stark," she fluttered, abashed, "I don't-"
"Please, Tony is fine."
Here she took a deep breath. "I don't think that is entirely professional, Mr. Stark."
He grinned, hearing the slight attitude in her voice as she stressed the formal name.
Before he could charm her any more, she gathered her cleaning supplies and made a break for the door, only pausing before it to ask, "Was there anything you needed me for, Mr. Stark?"
Tony let a predatory smile part his lips, and enjoyed watching her blush. "If I need you, I will let you know." And he winked.
She took off up the stairs, converse making no sound as she retreated.
The door closed. "That was not very nice."
Tony laughed at Jarvis. "Oh come on. You of all people should know how I am."
"Yes, but she doesn't."
Tony paused in clearing his table off. "And what does that mean?"
The music switched to more his taste and turned slightly up. "She may not know that you are playing with her. Exercise some restraint, Mr. Stark. This is her first day."
Tony grumbled something incoherent, and walked over to his computer. Suddenly remembering why he was eager to come home, he frowned.
"Has there been any projects on terra forming?"
Jarvis hummed in thought. Or perhaps he was checking the internet. "Not many. Why?"
Grumbling, Tony replied, "Greg told me to work on that. I think he meant it as a joke… it's a bit unrealistic, isn't it?"
"Yes. According to the laws of water, it seems a bit improbable."
Tony threw the idea into his trash bin, and opened up the latest updates he was working on for his suite.
"Did we get the latest weapon upgrade yet? I sent that order in two days ago."
Walking over to his worktable for the suite, he didn't notice right away that Jarvis hadn't responded. He called to the AI again, confused.
"Sorry sir. What was that?"
Tony cocked his head. "What's with you today, Jarvis? You seem…out of it."
Which, Tony continued in his head, is a human action, a human trait. Too human for Jarvis to be like. Unless…
Tony quickly assured himself that no harm could possibly come to his AI.
"I do not know what you mean, sir."
But Tony knew something was off.
"Don't try that with me, Jarvis. You didn't respond this morning, and you didn't hear my question thirty seconds ago." Abandoning his project, he moved towards the door.
"I was… running small maintenance. Sir."
Tony sighed, knowing his aid was definitely up to something. "Come on, Jarvis. You can't fool me. Is it a lady computer? Is that what has your attention?"
He meant it as a joke. He was shocked when Jarvis didn't respond again.
"Jarvis!"
--
Celia straightened in the kitchen, pausing in mid-sentence, hearing Tony's shout from the living room. "Jarvis? Is Mr. Stark trying to get your attention?"
"One more moment, Ms. Turner. My apologies."
--
"Yes sir?"
"It's a woman, isn't it!"
Jarvis was an AI. AI's don't stutter.
Jarvis had to remember this.
"Sir, are you quite alright? You seem… crazy. Well, crazier than normal."
"Don't change subjects Jarvis. Who's the lucky lady AI?"
"I don't-"
"Mr. Stark? Is everything alright?"
Tony turned to the kitchen, catching sight of Celia at the doorway and Jarvis' hologram behind her.
"Sir, there is no 'lady AI'. I am merely talking with Celia."
Tony had to think for a moment. Did Pepper ever randomly talk with Jarvis? He didn't think so.
"I'm sorry…" Celia said, looking down. "I just-"
"Why is your hologram on?"
Celia ducked her head, blushing.
"Ms. Turner mentioned she felt 'weird' talking to thin air."
This explained a lot.
"Oh… well…"
--
Tony admitted he was selfish. He did it all the time. It was very bad with Pepper. When he found out she had a boyfriend a year or so ago, he was extremely put out. He didn't want to share his Pepper with anyone.
He had a hard time enough sharing her with her own mother.
However, nothing to prepare him for being so extremely selfish with Jarvis. Sure, he could pass some of it off because Jarvis was his creation, thus it literally was his property.
But he was still pouting when half an hour later Jarvis was still 'chatting' with his new aid.
However selfish he was about his AI, he couldn't bring himself to be upset with Celia about it. But still…
What could be so interesting about an AI? He didn't have a past, he wasn't capable of feeling any extreme emotions.
"Sir?"
"Finally." Tony grumbled. "Are you paying attention now?"
"Yes, sir. I wonder if I could propose something?"
Tony rubbed his eyes, nodding.
"Ms. Turner admits that her apartment is not yet ready for her to live in. She was wondering if she could stay the night with you."
Tony's head shot up.
"Jarvis, I'm fairly certain I am mistaken in that I just heard you say that Celia would like to stay the night with me. Surely she has not-"
Jarvis sighed. "Not in your bed, sir."
"Ah, yes, that makes all the more sense." Spreading his arms wide, Tony replied, "As they say, 'Mi casa es su casa.' She has seen my workshop, what more trouble could she stumble into in one night?"
"She swears she will stay in the living room, sir."
"Fine, fine…" Tony turned on the hologram of the Iron Man suite, grabbing the control pen and pulling apart on of the arms. "About the weapon upgrade… I was thinking that…"
If Jarvis sighed, Tony didn't hear it.
--
"I would have suspected reporters to be dogging you to no end about Mr. Stark." Celia admitted, finishing off her Italian dinner. She was sitting in Tony's sparkling kitchen, looking over the bay while talking to Jarvis, who was sitting next to her.
"Most do not even know I exist."
Celia looked at her watch. Tony sure had been at his doctors for a long while…
As if reading her mind, Jarvis frowned. "Perhaps you would like to call Mr. Stark?"
"Indeed I would." She leaned in her chair to reach the cordless phone, pulling it from its dock. It was ringing when she put it to her ear, courtesy of Jarvis.
"Thanks." She mouthed, and sipped her wine.
"Yes?"
Raising her eyebrows at his lack of manners, Celia timidly asked, "Is everything alright, Mr. Stark? You have been at your doctors for," she glanced at her watch again, "three hours."
"Well," he grunted, and Celia looked worriedly at Jarvis, "I did have to wait in that damn waiting room for an hour. Then the doctor, -nngh-, puttered about the damn reactor for another hour, before he, -gunh-, injected some crap into my blood. Of course, it was loaded with some crap that the reactor didn't enjoy too much. So they –ouch!- carted me off to the hospital to make sure I wasn't injured horribly. Get away from that!"
Celia's heart rate increased, and Jarvis, being Jarvis, noticed her hand shaking. They both knew he was talking to someone else with that last sentence.
"And where was Hogan, during all of this?" He asked through the telephone. Celia didn't even wonder how he did that.
"Oh hell- they sent him off. I bet he's still outside the doctor's office though."
Jarvis shook his head.
"Listen, Celia. I know I've only known you a day. Even though it's been an exciting day… But I was wondering if you could do me a solid."
"A solid, sir?"
"A favor. A favor!" His voice rose with the second clarification.
"Of course, sir, anything, sir-"
"Get me the hell out of these damn hospital hands!" Celia cringed, "If I can get to my own lab I can clear the gunk myself, but these knuckle heads are too excited to get a look at the reactor to even listen to me."
"Of course sir."
Tony hung up on her then, with another pained yelp.
"Do you have transportation?"
Celia nodded, still looking confused. Finally, Jarvis asked what she was wondering as she pulled her trench coat out of the closet.
"What is his 'reactor' he mentioned?"
--
She still didn't know when she reached the hospital. Jarvis had been too surprised, but promised it would be explained to her later. She parked her car and quickly ran through clearance.
"Excuse me." One nurse said, stepping in front of her. "This is a restricted zone. You must be either a doctor or a patient to enter these quarters, and there is a patient already being seen to."
Celia glared at the woman. "I know. That's my boss in there. If you will excuse me, I need to go to him."
"Not without clearance you aren't-"
Celia whipped out her wallet and pulled out I.D. "Happy now?"
The nurse blinked. "I…I…M-my apologies, Ms. Turner. Had I known-"
"Shut up and get out of my way."
The nurse retreated.
--
"Ouch! Stop poking that, you numbskull!" Tony flinched away from another prying hand. "Hey! Don't touch there!"
They had managed to flip open the reactor, and one of the scientists on hand had hurried in five minutes ago. Luckily, he wasn't smart enough to bring any recording material, so Tony felt a bit better knowing they probably wouldn't learn anything.
He felt a lot better when he heard a ruckus outside, and the large bay doors to the emergency room slammed open to reveal Celia as the source of the mayhem.
"My dear, how lovely of you to stop by. Only think how put out I would be if I was left all alone with these idiots."
Celia froze at the doors, eyes zooming in on the glowing reactor. Without shifting her gaze, she slapped off the security guards that were grabbing her arms, and pulled out her wallet.
Whatever she showed them made them fall over themselves trying to get away, which amused Tony despite the situation. She elbowed her way into the still excited doctors and scientists, who looked at her with disdain.
"Tony…"
Tony warmed at the sound of his first name. However, any reply he might have purred to her was lost when one scientist tried to pull authority on her.
Apparently that I.D. granted her a higher rank then everyone in the room, and she moved to his shoulder when they quieted.
"Mr. Stark, excuse my language, but what the bloody hell is that?"
--
She had first noticed his lack of a shirt when she made it into his room. Despite herself, she admired the man, before the glowing thing in his chest caught and held her attention.
Now, with a clear view, she took in the many tangled wires, the ooze that was smeared all over his chest, and the deep pit over his heart. When she had her fill of the robotics, she inspected the rest of his body for injury.
"Someone tell me why several regulations were broken this day."
The oldest doctor cleared his throat. "His personal doctor was on leave during Mr. Starks appointment, and the stand in had no idea about the reactor, so when he injected Mr. Stark the-"
"Shut up."
Tony raised an eyebrow as she snapped at the doctors. She had plenty of authority. That was the head doctor.
"Tell me why, when Mr. Stark requested," Tony sniggered, "that he be released, you did not comply?"
"Should he be injured or his life in danger, we suspect it would be our responsibility to see that he is returned to good health." The doctor replied, seemingly on sure ground.
Celia was silent as her eyes flicked to the readings on the computers next to the table Tony was on. They flickered as if some power source was pulsing nearby.
"Though his heart readout is sporadic, as to be expected under hectic circumstances, he is otherwise healthy. Explain his containment to me, again, please."
This time the doctor was hesitant. "The… the injection he received… he responded badly to it. We were only trying to help-"
"You mean to tell me," she began, giving them the evil eye, "that someone who was not his assigned doctor, who obviously had not read Mr. Starks charts, injected him with some sort of medicine, not know how it would react to Mr. Starks personal body and condition?"
Tony didn't know the implications, but he suspected it was bad, the way she said it. The entire situation was very humorous to the man, despite his pain. Several seasoned doctors cowed by a young woman. He hoped Jarvis could tap in and steal the recording security camera feed.
"Hold on one second-"
"And when Mr. Stark attempted to explain the situation, and how you were not authorized to keep him against his will, why you did not immediately contact his chauffer and release him?"
"We assumed that-"
"You assumed it was normal for a man to have that thing in his chest and did what you pleased?"
The 'that thing' comment almost hurt Tony's feelings, but he was enjoying the show too much to speak up.
"Miss Turner, we only-"
"The man is a billionaire, and a hard working man. Not your latest experiment and not a test subject."
The doctors were silent, cowed.
Celia turned, satisfied, and pulled the straps from his arms. Released, he gave her a grin while clicking the reactor back into place.
"Thanks." He cheerfully said, spinning to rest his feet on the floor. "A few more minutes and I might have gone into cardiac arrest, and they already had out the zap-pads to kill me."
Hearing this, Celia caught sight of the 'zap-pads' as he called them. Taking a deep breath, she told herself not to kill the idiots, instead helping her boss from the table.
"Can you walk?"
"Of course I can walk!" He retorted, and wobbled to the doors. When she didn't follow, he called over his shoulder, "Coming?"
She threw a glare at the doctors. "You're getting off easy." She growled, and followed him out.
Whew! That was a doozy. I'm already working on the next part. FINALLY the day will end beginning of next chapter.
Then excitment? Maybe... dunno yet.
Anyways, toodles! And thanks so much for reading!!
(my line breaks arent working!! again my apologies!)