A/N: Sorry this took me so long to update! One word: College. Anyway. I think it's high time May and Rhodey met…

Chapter 6: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Jim Rhodes stood in the expansive foyer of the Stark Mansion on a brisk, sunny Saturday morning waiting for his friend to greet and usher him down to the basement to work on "suit stuff". Pre-Pepper, Rhodey wouldn't have hesitated to go straight down to workshop without Tony, but that incident last year with Tony and Pepper and the backseat of the hot rod effectively ended that habit. Now he preferred to linger in the safe comfort of the entrance.

Tony only kept him waiting a few minutes though. "Platypus!" he exclaimed. "What's going on, man? It's been like three weeks, where did Nick Fury banish you this time?"

"The North-South Korean border. It was ugly, you have one hell of an overhaul awaiting you down there," Jim told him.

"Well, good to have you back. Have you had breakfast?" he asked as he started for the kitchen.

"No, didn't bother. Your fridge is always better stocked than mine," Rhodey replied, not waiting for a formal invitation to raid Tony's pantry. "Where's Pepper?"

"Some exercise class, Yogalates or something," Tony responded, a little sheepish that he actually remembered the name of the stupid class. He was so whipped.

The two men eased into a casual conversation spanning a variety of topics as they emptied Tony's fridge. They were leaving the kitchen when Rhodey saw her: the young, beautiful redhead clad in only a Stark Industries t-shirt and (hopefully) underwear traipse into the room behind Tony's back. She didn't think twice in opening the fridge and scan what was left of its contents. The gesture infuriated Rhodey, her relaxed attitude meant she'd been here before. He speedily vacillated whether to ask then punch or punch then ask. How could Tony do this Pepper, who'd stood by him through everything?

He'd decided to ask and then punch, since he was feeling generous this morning. "What the hell is wrong with you, Tony?" he demanded through gritted teeth as he balled his fists. "I thought you said you weren't doing this anymore, besides, is this one even legal?"

Tony was at a loss for words until he turned around to see what his friend was so angrily staring at. Once he did, Tony couldn't help but to burst into laughter. "That's a good one, Platypus. Don't get your panties a bunch, I am so not sleeping with her."

"Well, who she is then?" Rhodey didn't relent with his interrogative tone.

"That, my dear friend, is May Parker. As in Peter Parker, as in Spider-Man, if you didn't catch—"

"I did. You're not the only one who went to MIT here, Tony." Jim reminded him…again.

"Right, I just graduated before you did with double Masters degrees. Anyway, May and Spider-Dad had a little misunderstanding earlier this week, so she's staying the summer with me to give them some much needed space." Tony enlightened the Colonel. "Hey May! Get your barely clothed butt over here, there's someone I want to you to meet."

May looked over from where she was studying the insides of the fridge with frustration and estimating how much Tony and Pepper spent on food weekly. Her irritated expression quickly morphed to one of mortification when she saw that not only was Tony watching her, but none other than War Machine was too. It was strange to see the famous Colonel Rhodes in just jeans and a black t-shirt, in all the images and videos she'd seen of him he was either looking pristine in his military uniform or looking seriously intimidating in the Suit. She padded over to the superhero duo, self-consciously tugging at the hem of her t-shirt.

"May, this is Colonel Jim Rhodes, or maybe better known as—"

"War Machine," May cut him off, extending her hand to Jim. "It's such an honor to meet a national hero like yourself."

"Suck-up," Tony fake coughed.

Rhodey ignored Tony's not so subtle jibe and took May's hand. "The pleasure is all mine, May."

"May is actually a superhero in training; she's going to be taking over the Spider dynasty soon" Tony informed Rhodey, who couldn't help but notice that he still hadn't let go of May's hand.

"Is that true?" Rhodey questioned looking from Tony to May and back, finally releasing her hand from his grip. "You're the mysterious new Spider-Girl?"

"Um, yeah," she blushed. "I didn't know I was such a big deal."

"You just look so…normal," he remarked stunned.

"Thank you?" May didn't know exactly how to reply.

"Well as awkward as this is," Tony broke the silence, clapping his hands together. "Rhodey and I have some important business to attend to downstairs. You're welcome to sit in."

"Oh no thanks, I've already seen 'I Love You, Man'," May replied, her voice glib. "I was thinking of heading to beach, is it cool if I call Happy?"

Tony scoured his mind for the proper 'parental' way to respond. "Sure, how long are you going to be gone?"

"I'll back around three," she answered.

"Okay, bring your phone and be careful." That's something Peter would say, right?

"Aw, you're so cute when you're trying to be parental," she cooed teasingly and began to depart. "See you later, it was so nice to meet you Colonel Rhodes."

"Please, call me Jim, and see you around," Rhodey told her, examining the adolescent a little too closely as she left. Now it was Tony's turn to get pissed.

"Damn," he said once she disappeared. "I knew Spider-Man had a lot of powers, but I didn't know that making a hot daughter was one of them."

"Well, it's a rather recent development," Tony conceded before his tone hardened from protectiveness. "But you were right, you know. May isn't legal, so stop looking at her like she's twenty-five."

"Oh, sorry dude, didn't know. You've got to admit that she's pretty…um…so you going to recruit her for the Avengers?" inquired Rhodey eager to change the subject.

"I'd like to, but Peter is so damn protective of her. I promised her mother that we wouldn't let her join until she's twenty-one, but if something big comes up in the next four years, she could prove to be a valuable asset." Tony instantly regretted his word choice. "Come on, dude, downstairs before I have to call 'To Catch a Predator'."

0-0-0

Done, May congratulated herself as she slammed her book shut. She really thought that the four-hundred and sixty four pages of the novel would have taken longer than a couple days to finish, but a childhood of Harry Potter novels did wonders for one's reading speed. May's current dilemma was now how to occupy the remaining hour until Happy came to pick her up. Funny, she mused, how easily I've adapted to having a chauffeur. September was going to be a rude re-awakening.

The teenager pulled out her iphone, a seventeenth birthday present, from her beach bag. She scrolled listlessly through her contacts, stopping on the name Davida Kirby. Her best friend. May yearned to call her and at least let Davida know that she was okay, but something unnamable within her prevented her from doing so. May was aware she was entering dangerous territory. Especially since she'd now scrolled to the contact labeled 'Home'. Just like one of the waves breaking no more than twenty feet in front of her, all of the heartache and homesickness swelled inside of her and came crashing down. No, I can't, May endeavored to convince herself, it would be too painful. You're just going to start crying and everyone around you is going to wonder what's wrong with you and then you won't be able to stop and then Tony's going to think you're an idiot girl who isn't qualified to be a superhero since she lets her emotions get the best of her. May wished her superhuman strength applied to her emotions as well as her body as she did her best to extinguish the inferno of thoughts blazing her mind. Maybe it was best if she left, May had already completed the necessary beach activities—go for a swim, tan, read, ogle the lifeguards, all in all her day at the beach was pretty much complete.

May slid her finger along the touch screen so the cursor rested over Happy's name. This time she actually pressed send.

0-0-0

Rhodey was only mildly aware that it was evening when he resurfaced from the basement for edible reinforcements; therefore he was somewhat surprised to see the windows filled with darkness. Pepper was seated on the couch, industriously typing away on her laptop as soundless images from MSNBC played above her head.

"Giving up a commitment-free Saturday night? Okay, now you're officially the hardest working person I know," Rhodey remarked, interrupting Pepper's concentration.

She threw him a self-effacing grin and replied, "I don't know about that. I'm just trying to keep up really, haven't you two been down there all day?"

"Yeah," he admitted, "But we took a Call of Duty break."

"How's it going?" inquired Pepper.

"It's going," Rhodey shrugged. "Where's your houseguest?"

"Oh May?" Pepper replied. "She disappeared two hours ago into her room, and from the occasional blasting of the bass, presumably to have a dance party."

"I never thought in a million years that Tony would let a teenage girl stay with him. Seems a little out of character, you know?" mused Rhodey.

"Agreed," concurred Pepper. "I guess Tony sees part of himself in her, and for once, thank God not part of himself inside of her."

Rhodey broke out into a surprised laughter at Pepper's shrewd remark. "Damn Potts! That came outta left field!"

"Don't act so surprised Rhodey, I am capable of having a sense of humor outside the office" she responded mock-offended.

"Sorry, sorry, lesson learned. I like her though, she seems fiery."

"She's definitely inherited Mary Jane's moxy," Pepper agreed.

"So….how long do you give them until they tear this place apart?" Rhodey inquired. He had observed the dynamic between the two heroes earlier and it didn't take much to tell that it was only a matter of time before they were throwing punches.

Pepper hesitated for a brief moment to fully consider Rhodey's question. "Well, it's already been two and a half weeks…"

"I give them five days," Rhodey assuredly predicted.

"I give them three." Pepper bet. " I love the man, but knowing Tony, he'll make some remark that will set her off and I'll be calling the contractor again."

"Speaking of which, I should probably be getting back down there. I don't have to tell you that Iron Man doesn't like to be kept waiting." Rhodey said, the disdain creeping into his tone.

"Of course," said Pepper, rolling her endearingly at the thought as Rhodey headed back downstairs.

Call it women's intuition, or just the fact that Pepper had know Tony for a decade and a half, but Pepper's prediction about the date of Tony and May's face-off was going to be right on the mark.

A/N: So this chapter's kind of a shortie, and I apologize for that. Trust me though…the next chapter is going to ACTION-PACKED! School is CRAZY (I am taking a ridiculously heavy course load), so I'm going to need reviews to encourage me to write such a big chapter!

-youngandobssesed