Ch 10

I'M BACK! so I may have said that last chapter that there was 4 chapters left… turns out I lied. Yeah, I changed my mind and now this whole story is going to be 22 chapters. Now this isnt anywhere near to done.

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"SHIELD has those men in custody, we will find out who they are and what they were there for. The dogs are going with you Alyssa to go into Fitzsimmons lab. They will figure out what type of mutation it is." The Agent briefing us says.

I nod and Clint is fiddling with an arrowhead. When the agent leaves I look towards Clint. He's quiet.

"Aren't you gonna go run towards the nearest sanitation shower?" I ask. He still has not done such since we got back and I can start to smell the pee from here.

"Yeah. In a moment." He says still fiddling with the arrowhead.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Fine, just fine." He hasn't changed.

"Are you sure?"

"Alyssa, go. Don't worry. I'll take a shower. Don't worry. Just go." He waves me off.

"Okay…" I say as I get up. He's obviously not talking about whatever it is. No point in staying when I could have a shower myself.

When I leave the room I turn to look back and see him looking at his hands. 'Excited big brother' Clint sure is annoying at times but I sure do miss him when he's gone.

I had just gotten back from the locker room after having a shower when I ran into Clint again. He had obviously taken a shower himself as his hair was still damp and the stench of dog piss was no longer evident.

"Hey Clint." I say in passing.

"Alyssa, hey." He turns a 360 to face me and I turn around too. I tilt my head in questioning.

"I'm sorry about what happened back there."

"With the dogs and being attacked? I'm okay. I'm sorry you got peed on."

"I'm sorry about that too." He mumbles. "But that's not what I was talking about." He shakes his head dismissing the thought.

"Then what are you sorry for?" I ask.

"That whole briefing… its just… I miss Coulson. You want to know why I showed up in Malibu? That's why."

"Your apologizing to me because of a briefing… because you miss some guy named Coulson and that's why you were in Malibu?" I ask him to clarify and I am very confused.

"Maybe I should explain better…" he realizes how odd he sounded.

"You probably should." I nod in agreement.

"My old handler the guy that recruited me actually, was named Phil Coulson. Tony knew him. Before the battle of New York he was killed by a bat-shit crazy Asgardian. After I was allowed back into the field I was assigned to a mission in Belize and I had a new handler. When I came back and got briefed… something happened. I got angry. Agent Hill told me to get out and cool off. I was not allowed to stay on the helicarrier and I had nowhere else to go. Coulson was a good man. One of the best out there. What happened in our briefing… I wished Coulson were briefing. Coulson gave a dead man his life again, I wish I could return the favor." He finalizes and everything makes sense.

I stayed silent and I went to give him a hug. I didn't expect him to accept the hug but I was happy when he did.

"I'm sorry about your friend. You were obviously very close." I pat him on the back. "I know what its like to lose someone you really care about."

"Your parents die by an alien?" he asked. He obviously didn't know.

"That's exactly what happened. Tony knows this. My parents were vacationing in New York when the attack happened. They just happened to be in the crossfire. I had to fly into New York. I didn't know what to do. They were the only ones I had. The only ones who believed in me and they were gone." I am almost on the brink of tears. When Tony asked for the story and I told him he brought me into a hug. Told me that if he could he would have saved them. I told him it wouldn't make a difference.

"That day in New York was that kind of day. It just changed everything. Now we have to get passed it. Only no one knows how to do that." he says to me. He has released me from the hug a while ago. Now we are just standing in the hall.

"We will have to figure it out."

I was alone except for the dogs and the pilot on the quinjet heading back to California. Barton got a mission in Argentina and had to leave. I looked at the dogs in the kennels and they looked scared. I don't know if I'm allowed to comfort them. They look as unsure of their future as I am. This Fitzsimmons person better not hurt them. SHIELD wouldn't do something cruel to animals' right?

"We're starting our final descent." The pilot informs me. I nod. It's getting late. About eight o'clock pacific time.

When we land I am directed to where I can go to my car and head home. I look sympathetically to the dogs as I leave. I don't know if I feel bad for them or not. They did attack me after all.

When I arrive at my apartment I turn on my phone for the first time in two days. Twenty plus calls missed. All from Tony.

I better call.

The phone hardly rings before I get an answer.

"ALYSSA WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU FOR TWO DAYS? WHY WOULDN'T YOU CALL US? PEPPER AND ME WERE WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU! WHY THE FUCK WOULDN'T TELL US WHERE YOU WERE? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED FOR ALL WE COULD HAVE KNOWN!" Tony yells into the phone. At first I am shocked at his yelling. About half way through his continued rant I can't help but smile. He was worried about me. And people said Tony Stark didn't have a heart…

"DAD I'M FINE!" I yell back interrupting him then I pause. I've never called him dad before. I have referred him as my father, but I never called him dad. The act shuts us both up.

"I was busy with work and my phone was off. I'm sorry I didn't call. I'm not used to someone caring so much." I tell him after a long moment.

"I am sorry for my outburst Alyssa. You obviously are able to take care of yourself without Pepper and me needing to check up on you."

"Did you just say sorry?" I hear a shocked Pepper in the background. "This father thing is really softening you up huh?" I smile at Pepper's comment.

"Pepper, you know I care about things." Tony says as he puts the phone on speaker.

"Well I know, but you never say sorry unless its me and we have had an argument." She notes.

"Did you not here him yelling at me?" I ask her.

"Alyssa! Are you all right? Why didn't you call us?" Pepper's voice asks me softly but full of concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got caught up with work." I repeat. It's not a lie.

"That excuse sounds familiar." I can hear Pepper smile. "Like father like daughter." I can imagine the look she is giving Tony at this exact moment.

"Hey." I hear Tony say. "You make it sound like I'm terrible."

"You are." Both Pepper and me say. "I swear you get so caught up in your work you forget to breathe."

"I would not be surprised by that." I shake my head.

"Just wait Alyssa, she did say you are like me." Tony adds.

"Great." I roll my eyes. "If I pass out I'm blaming you then." I inform him.

"Well, remember to breathe then." He tells me.

"You two are definitely related." I hear Pepper deadpan.

"Of course we are, she has my gorgeous looks." Tony says sounding exactly how you would expect him to sound when saying that sentence.

"I think that was more you complementing yourself than anything else." I note.

"Your probably right sweetie." Pepper concludes.

"You two are ganging up on me!" Tony says sounding appalled.

"Yes, yes we are." I nod. Even though they can't see me.

"Alyssa! He's pouting!" Pepper exclaims laughing.

I laugh along with her imagining what Tony looks like. I have seen that man pout before. And nothing compares to watching a grown man pout, especially when that man is Tony.

I was walking into the mansion the next day and realized how quiet it was. JARVIS greeted me with his familiar British greeting.

"Welcome back Miss Williams. Mr. Stark is in his workshop like usual and Miss Potts is at her office." He informs me.

"Thanks JARVIS, and just call me Alyssa like everyone else does." I tell the AI.

"I will remember for next time Miss Williams." JARVIS says. If I could give an AI a death glare…

"JARVIS…" I say warningly.

"Alyssa, what are you doing here?" Tony says as he walks up the stairs from his workshop.

"Coming up for air I see." I say knowingly. "Hi Tony." I say smiling after I get a look from the man.

"Alyssa. Why are you here?" he asks again.

"Its Sunday and contrary to popular belief and unlike the residents of this house I like to have days off every once and a while."

"I don't work, remember? Pepper is CEO for that."

"But you do work on your suits. So that counts. Anyway I figured Pepper was working like she does and someone would have to take care of you."

"Pepper called you to babysit me?" Tony tilts his head almost knowingly.

"Not in so many words." I give up.

"So this wasn't just because you wanted to spend time with your dear old dad?" he asked teasingly.

"Out of the zero out of zero people I could hang out with today, yes Tony, I only came here because Pepper asked me too." I smirked.

"I'm so touched." That classic Starkasam came out in full force.

"I knew you would be." I nod. "Anyway, you want to hang out? I do have to actually see you eat something and I also have to send Pepper a picture. She wants to be sure."

"Yeah, sure. Food would be good. After we can ride the carts around the house before Pep comes home." He plans out.

"Sounds great."

We were at some burger joint nearby having a really nice time. We talked about a lot of different things. From new tech we were working on to plans for the weekend. It was interesting watching the stares Tony got from everyone around noticing him.

"How do you deal with all this?" I ask him as we waited for our food.

"With what?" he asked innocently.

"The stares. Everyone in here has looked at you at some point."

"I don't. I've had them my whole life. I'm used to it." He shrugged.

"Yeah, well, its weird for us normal people."

"Alyssa, you are not normal. You're a Stark you were born awesome. Sometimes that amount of awesomeness warrants stares."

"Well, as awesome as I am it is still weird." I continue.

"Try ignoring it?"

"I am. But that woman keeps staring at you, I find it unsettling and fact she is also giving me a terrible death glare is not helping. And by terrible I mean it needs work, she looks constipated."

Tony laughs. "Well I find it unsettling that our server is obviously checking you out, but you don't see me making it a point."

"You just did." I point out.

"Well, sorry about that."

"No your not."

"Your right I'm not. I may have not been your dad for long but I find the idea of this guy being interested in you unsettling myself."

"Awe, Pepper was right, midlife fatherhood is making you soft." I tease and I go to pinch his cheek.

"Shut up, I may be your father but I am still the bad-ass and amazing Iron Man. Any guy who dares to touch you will be vaporized." He tries to sound threatening and he swats my hand away from his face.

"Not even if it's someone you know?" I ask theoretically and just wanting to rile him up more. It was too much fun.

"Who would I know that you would date?"

"I don't know, I could fall in love with Captain America." I joke.

"NO Alyssa, do NOT fall in love with Steve Capsicle Rogers! I will not have it! He is way too old for you!" well, that reaction was great!

"Why not? It could happen! And if you don't count the years he spent in ice he's not that much older than me." I reason.

"Just stop. Please." Tony groaned and put his face in his palms.

"Why? Would you be jealous?" I continue to tease.

"That's disgusting Alyssa. No. I really don't want to imagine that. Ever. That's just weird and even more unsettling. You dating him or otherwise."

"Well lucky for you I've never met him."

"Remind me to never introduce you two."

I roll my eyes as said server comes by with our food. Tony nods his head and I smile politely as I whip out my phone.

"Alright smile for Pepper." I command Tony after he took a huge bite of his burger.

"Cheefse." He struggles to say with a stuffed mouth and he smiles. It's absolutely disgusting as you can see the par-chewed food in his mouth, but at least Pepper will know he's eating. I openly laugh at him.

"That was awesome." I inform him.

"Really, was it? I think we could do one more." he says as he takes another bite.

"I think one is enough for Pepper." I laugh.

"You are probably right." Tony nods and we both continue to dig into our lunches.