A/N: This chapter was tricky, but it was fun to type! Sorry it took so long. My beta actually didn't check it yet so it's not perfect. I'll do some small revisions later, but until then, I hope you all like it!
Review, review, review! (Try and say that super fast!)
I ran down the steps. I was dying to know if Tony and Pepper were back.
I looked through the glass: no one was there.
I wanted to wait in the workshop, so I typed in the code I remembered Pepper typing in: 5973.
The pad immediately turned red and Jarvis informed, "You are not allowed to access this area."
"What?" I asked, started to get irritated. "Are you still holding that rule Tony set for me three months ago?"
"He has not told me to let you into any locked areas," Jarvis replied.
"That's because he hasn't been here," I snapped, keeping my voice volume even.
"Well, that's not my problem, is it?" Jarvis retorted.
I took a deep breath, knowing that I would have wait on the stairs for them to get here and unlock the door.
I might as well get something to do, I thought after a moment.
I ran up to my room, grabbed my "Percy Jackson" book, and sprinted back out.
I found a comfortable position on a step, and opened my book to Chapter 19: "We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of".
Greek mythology has always fascinated me. Where did the Greeks get these ideas of different gods and goddesses from? It was a few hundred years before Christ came along. So did some random person say they had a vision of twelve different higher beings in a place called Mount Olympus, which was supposed to be placed in the clouds set on a humongous mountain? I wish they had told us that in mythology class.
I was fully absorbed in what I was reading and thoughts about it, so, naturally, I didn't hear the car pull in or Pepper walk toward the door to open it.
I looked up quickly when the door hissed open. At seeing Pepper, I stood up quickly and glanced out of the glass wall. Tony was taking off his right arm sling.
Pepper smiled and held the door open for me.
I went through, still carrying my book, and smiled back in thanks.
"Miss Potts," I heard my uncle call. "Please dispose of this." He handed Pepper the sling which he apparently didn't need.
"Would that be all, Mr. Stark?" Pepper asked, taking the sling from him.
"That will be all, Miss Potts," Tony replied. It sounded like he was implying another meaning.
She left, looking like she understood his meaning.
Tony then turned toward me with analyzing eyes. I looked away from his gaze, getting a little uncomfortable. It was different being in his presence than hearing his voice on the telephone.
He motioned to the leather couch behind me. I did as he wanted.
I sat at the very end, while him at the opposite end.
There was a pause while I continued to avoid his gaze.
"Do I intimidate you?" he questioned, a hint of amusement hidden well in his voice, but I could still detect it.
I nodded and said, still averting his stare, "Yeah."
My obvious uneasiness of him proclaimed, he laughed.
I looked up and glared. Does this guy take everything as a joke?!
He stopped laughing at seeing my glare, but instead smirked.
Still glaring, I said, "Do you have any idea what I've been through in the past three months?"
His smirk vanished and has angry eyes pierced me. "You, apparently, don't have a clear conception of what I went through."
"Then tell me," I said with menace. "I'm sure you would love to talk even more about yourself."
We glared at each other until, to my confusion, he broke contact, breathed a sigh full of angst, and put his face in his hands.
I stopped glaring, instantly feeling guilty. What I'm I doing?
"…I'm…I'm sorry," I said after a long moment of hesitation. "You're right: I don't know what happened to you. But from your speech, it sounded…devastating."
Tony put down his hands and sat up. He glanced at me and said, "I should be the one apologizing. I haven't been fair to you."
I looked down at my hands. "Why did you act like you didn't care?"
"Because you were a problem I didn't want to deal with." He said slowly. When I glanced up at him, he was looking down also. "Ignoring you and the fact that your mother has passed was, I thought, the easiest way to leave all of this behind me. It was selfish. I was hurting you and I didn't do anything to fix it."
Tony glanced back at me. "I'm sorry for doing that to you. I did care about your mother. I haven't heard from her in years, and I eventually forgot about her. Now when you walked in"—he changed the tone of the conversation to a more humorous one—"and told me that my sister died, you metaphorically slapped me in the face. I don't like it when people, especially fourteen-year-old girls, slap me in the face, even if you didn't really touch me, you still did in my mind. That was my excuse for not interacting with you."
"That's it?" I said, catching the vibe of the conversation.
"What?" He raised an eyebrow. "You expected more?"
"No. Why should I expect any more from you?"
"Don't expect anything from me. Ever. That's why I have Pepper."
"I'll keep that in mind," I said, smiling, then, taking the smile from my face, I asked, "What happened there anyway?"
His face turned solemn. "I was captured by the Ten Rings—a group of terrorists"—he responded to me confused look—"and they wanted me to build the Jericho missile I presented to the troops earlier—I didn't build the missile"—he reacted again to my expression, which was apprehensive—"I built a suit."
"What kind of suit?" I asked curiously.
He paused, probably deciding if he should tell me or not. "…I built an iron suit—don't ask me to explain anymore." I had opened my mouth to ask what that meant, but silenced myself. "You'll know, sooner or later."
"And this suit helped you escape?" I asked.
"Yep."
"I wish you would explain more so I could get a clear picture of it, but the fact that you escaped is impressive."
"Oh, really? You're just impressed?"
"Fine. It's astounding!" My words dripped with sarcasm. "The fact that you escaped a group of terrorists simply fills me with awe! It's almost incomprehensive! I—"
"Okay, okay," he said. "That's good."
"Oh, are you sure?" I asked, still being sarcastic. "I could go on forever! Because you're so…"
"Yes?" he said, smirking widely, both of his eyebrows lifted.
I hesitated. I actually had no particular word picked out. You can't explain him in one word.
I finally admitted defeat, mostly because I didn't want to say what I had in mind. Shaking my head slightly, I said, "I don't know."
"Come on," he pushed. "What I'm I?"
"I would think you would know by now," I said, smirking also. I was referring to the fact that he should know he's human.
"What? Oh." His confused expression lasted only a millisecond. "Fine. Don't tell me. But I will bring it up again, when you won't be expecting it."
"Fine."
"You know what else I built?" Tony inquired, rapidly changing the subject. He reached his hands up to the top of button shirt, but put them back down just as quickly. "Okay, first, when we were attacked I got out of the car that was being used to transport me back—anyway, a missile—one of my missiles by the way—landed nearby and it exploded on me and some shrapnel got in me. Most of it was removed but some of it's still in my body so I need a magnet to keep it from entering my heart."
"You built a magnet?" I questioned disbelievingly; that was way too simple for Tony Stark to make. Or at least for him to mention making.
"Well, not exactly," he answered. He unbuttoned the first couple of buttons by his collar.
"Wow…" I said softly in amazement.
Right where his heart was, a blue-white lighted circular mechanism glowed.
"What is that?" I asked, staring in wonder at the device.
"It's a miniaturized arc reactor," he stated. "There's a big one powering my factory."
"So that keeps the shrapnel out?" I asked as he buttoned his shirt.
"Yep."
"Do you want me to continue my earlier amazement?" I asked jokingly.
"As much as I'd like to say yes, I'll decline the offer." I sensed some sarcasm used there, but it could have gone under any gullible person's radar.
"How could you possibly say 'no'?" I asked, resuming my sarcastic tone.
"Because your sarcasm is so blatant and obvious that it makes me feel weird. That's way I stopped you before."
"Oh!" I said in exaggerated realization. "So my sarcasm is too much for Tony Stark! I feel so complete now!" I dropped my sarcasm, but added false seriousness to my tone. "I'll be holding that over you for the rest of your life!"
"Glad you'll only be here four years." There was no sarcasm or hint of a joke in his voice.
I dropped my jaw. "Okay. That's mean." I hesitated. "You're not serious, are you?"
"Cara, you should know by now that I'm not serious about anything but when I am, you'll know. I'm sure you can figure it out since you have some of my brilliance."
He then stood up and walked to his computer desk, saying, "Now, if you don't mind, I have things to do."
"Okay," I stood up and grabbed my book. "Nice talking with you."
He didn't look at me when he said, "Yeah."
I turned and walked out, looking back at Tony; he didn't look up again.
I walked up the steps with more questions polluting the contentment of my mind than before I started talking to him.
