Author's Note: What I'm currently writing is a few chapters ahead of what I'm posting so I have to keep reminding myself of what ya'll do and do not know yet. It's sort of confusing lol but I'm trying to leave everything spoiler free, so if I say something that doesn't make sense, let me know. I'm probably talking about something that hasn't happened yet haha
Review Reviews:
Morgan: Thank you for the review :)
jeffhardyfan93: We haven't seen much of Kellen but I like him haha That is pretty much how it works :p lol
GhostGlowLight: Nope hehe they aren't going to kiss for a while. However, there's some great moments between Anya and Ryland in this chapter as well as the ones to come :)
Sasha: I have to agree that focusing on just Anya and Ryland doesn't make sense to me either. Everyone has their opinions and you can't please everyone, I'm just glad so many of you all enjoy my writing as much as you do :) I missed some of the family dynamic of Mini-Vengers so I had to throw in a classic dinner scene. Anya is definitely inching her way closer to Ryland. It's not easy and she's still fighting it, but something is certainly brewing ;)
N3v3rm0r11949: Well thank you! I've got a soft spot for Dahlia and I wish I could add her to this story more.
imnotcraZyjustuniQue: Awe yay! I'm glad that was your favorite! I figured we needed a little break up to the action and intensity. We'll get back to the action and stuff next but there certainly is some progression between Anya and Ryland. Of course that is right now and things can change :p Without spoiling anything, I'll say there won't be a legitimate resolution (get together) for a while, but the next few chapters are key for Aceland- what happens, how they react and the conversations they have.
kimbee: Nooooooo NCIS is not to be believed! NOO! lol, Thank you :)
discordchick: No one's particularly happy about this mission but families stick together, right? And these guys are tighter then glue. Lol Dahlia ships it. Hard.
BlueBanshee: Without spoiling any of the fun, all I can say is there won't be anything official for a while. But the next few chapters have some really wonderful moments between them as well as some crucial steps towards "official" So even though Anya can admit her feelings to Dahlia, she can't quite tell Ryland just yet. We're getting there though ;)
maggie: Thank you! Baby steps, Ace, baby steps lol
This chapter is sort of short so I might upload chapter 12 sooner than usual. We'll see how quickly I can get it edited haha
Enjoy!
Irina wasn't so dense not to see something was up. The tension at dinner, the impromptu "meeting" with Anya and Ryland afterward and the fact that Tony had called home Thor. But she wasn't worried. It clearly wasn't important or else they would've told her. But that didn't really comfort her when she woke up to the sound of her parents fighting the next morning.
It wasn't sparring and it wasn't bickering, it was an argument loud enough to carry back to Irina's room all the way from the kitchen. Irina could count on both hands the amount of real fights her parents had had over the years. They fought when Anya was old enough to start school because Natasha wanted to keep her home and teacher her at the tower whereas Clint wanted her to have the quintessential first day of school. They barely talked for three days before Natasha caved and they sent Anya to school, both following behind the school bus the whole way to the school but hiding before Anya saw. They fought again two years later when it was Irina's time to start school. They'd switched sides that time and only argued for two days before Clint caved.
They once fought for two weeks straight when Anya brought home a stray cat in the 4th grade. She found him in an alley on her way home from school and decided the tower would be his new home. He was scrappy and missing one eye so Anya named him Hawkeye. Clint was all for having a pet but Natasha hated the flea ball. Eventually though, and before they'd reached an agreement about ownership, Hawkeye ran away. Anya cried for six hours straight and Natasha wished she'd just agreed to keep the damned thing or else her little girl wouldn't have been so upset.
Irina couldn't quite remember what their other fights were about, just the muffled sound of their arguing through the walls. Clint and Natasha never fought in front of the girls. They bickered and bantered and trained but they never truly fought around their children. Clint once snapped at Natasha when Irina was about six. The little girl had had a terrible day and was feeling a little sick so seeing her parents anything but grossly in love set her off. As Clint and Natasha took their "discussion" back to their bedroom, Irina cried on her big sister longer than necessary.
"It's okay, Baby Bird." Anya had promised as she hugged her sister close. "Mom and Dad still love each other, I promise. Sometimes they fight because they know each other too well. But just like us, or Pepper and Tony, or Bruce and Danny, or Thor and Jane, or Steve and Mickey. They always kiss and make up. You'll see, Irina, they'll be gross and lovey-dovey again in no time."
Those same words whispered in Irina's ear again as she climbed out of bed and left her room. She was quiet as a mouse as she inched open her door and tip-toed down the hall. As much as she hated hearing them fight her curiosity got the best of her and she inched down the hall towards the kitchen.
"I trust them." Natasha said, her voice carrying down the hall to Irina as she hid from their eyes. "They are the two most level-headed kids I've ever met."
"I know that," Clint replied, his tone clearly irritated. "and I'm glad it's those two and not someone else. I trust Anya more than anyone else and over the years I think I've placed the appropriate amount of fear in Ryland for this exact situation but..."
"But it's your little girl and you're worried." Natasha finished for him. "I get it, Clint, my god do I ever understand where you're coming from. I don't want this either, Clint, but this is Anya. She's gonna do what she's gonna do and we can't stop her."
"I blame you for that stubbornness." Natasha had clearly hit Clint for that comment cause Irina heard him grunt a curse and a small struggle ensue. Irina headed back to her room to make sure they didn't catch her.
Irina knew what they were fighting about. The tension and after-dinner-meeting made sense all of a sudden. She just couldn't figure out why Anya hadn't told her. They were sisters, best friends! They told each other everything, so why would Anya keep this a secret?
She's probably embarrassed, Irina thought. How long had this been a possibility? It'd been years coming. Anya was probably still trying to figure it out herself. So Irina would give her time. When Anya was ready she'd spill the beans. The idea made Irina giggle a little as she thought more about it. She couldn't wait to get the details. Oh how excited Dahlia and Florence would be!
XXX
Anya felt infinitely better in the morning so she got up before anyone else and hit the gym to work out some of her stiffness. She had the place to herself so she let herself really feel the work out, grunting and wincing with her efforts. She was a sweaty mess by the time she was finished so she hopped in the shower before getting dressed. She did her hair, curling it perfectly before pulling it into an intricate braided bun. She called to JARVIS for the weather report and groaned loudly when the AI informed her of the 102 degree heat and 12% humidity outside. There really was no point in trying to look nice considering the heat but Anya found a floral printed bralette to put under a white tie-off crop top and paired them with cuffed jean shorts and a pair of strappy white cord wedge heels.
Fully dressed and stomach rumbling, Anya headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Upstairs Steve was teaching Charlotte how to make an omelet. So Anya placed an order and sat at the island waiting for her breakfast. Steve was a great teacher, talking slow enough to hear every word but not so slow that it felt degrading. He helped her throw together the ingredients, showing her what he liked best as well as Mickey and Florence's favorites.
Anya made a show of thanking them both when she received her meal. It was quite delicious and she let them know as she ate. "You need to teach me how to cook too, Steve." Anya said as she munched. "I have no idea how I'm going to survive on my own one day when I move out."
"If I don't teach you will you promise to never move out?" Steve asked with a smile. "Cause if so, I'm sorry I can't."
"Can't what?" Mickey asked as she joined them in the kitchen.
"Can't let Anya leave." Steve replied, tossing a piece of celery at her. She caught it in her mouth and munched on it as she went to hug him from behind.
"You can't move out," Mickey agreed after asking Steve and Charlotte for an omelet as well. "None of you kids can move out. Who's gonna take care of us all when we're old and crazy?"
Anya laughed as she finished her breakfast and put her dish in the dishwasher. "I'm gonna have enough crazy on my hands when my parents get old. But I bid Charlotte and Florence good luck."
Charlotte let out a long groan at the idea and everyone laughed. Really she wouldn't put up with her parents aging like Dahlia and Kellen wouldn't. If anything they'd have to deal with old age themselves before Steve and Thor. But Anya would have her hands full. Clint and Natasha were already nuts, old age would only make it worse. Ryland would have it pretty bad too. No one would be envious of him when he had to take care of Old Tony one day. The mental image of a wrinkly old Iron Man in a nursing home made Anya giggle pretty hard. Her laughter only got worse when Tony answered their apartment door with a grumpy, sleepy face.
"Ryland awake?" she asked as he side-stepped to let her in.
"I think so," Tony replied, rubbing his tired brown eyes. "he's still in his room, just go on up."
So that's what Anya did. Bounding up the stairs and rounding the corner to his room, she called Ryland's name. She knew better than to just burst through the door so she stood outside knocking for a minute. Eventually though the door swung open, Ryland on the other side. His usually messy hair was even wilder and he was rubbing sleep from his eyes as he stood before her just in sweatpants.
"Morning, sunshine."
"What time is it?" Ryland asked with a long yawn. He moved inside of the room, falling back into his bed as Anya entered behind him. "I went to the gym last night after we got home. As good as it felt to loosen up a bit after the accident, I'm wiped."
Anya fell onto the bed beside him, propping a few pillows behind her back so she was sitting upright. "Well suck it up cause we gotta go check out Doctor Kimble's place today."
Ryland grumbled something unintelligible with his face still buried in his sheets. "Okay fine," he mumbled, sitting up. "wait here."
Anya settled into the bed watching Ryland struggle upright. She shamelessly watched his abs flex when he stretched but instead of blushing when he caught her she just flashed him a look. He made a show of bending over to pick up his red Converse, wiggling his butt at her. She laughed out right even as she appreciated the view.
"I should've been a Chippendale." Ryland mused as he shuffled around in his closet. "I've got the six-pack."
"And the butt!" Anya added, pointing to his perfectly round little rear-end. Ryland burst into laughter, bowing graciously for the compliment. A few minutes later he emerged from the closet in blue jeans and a black tee shirt, his hair still a mess but a little more tamed.
"All set," he said as he grabbed his car keys, wallet, phone and gun. "I assume we're taking my car?"
"Well considering mine is treading water right now...yeah we're taking yours." Anya retorted. They headed out of his room and down the stairs were Pepper stopped them.
"When you get a free minute Tony and I wanna take you down to the dealership and get you a new ride." Pepper said as she stopped the kids in the living room.
"Oh no that's okay." Anya said with a smile. "I appreciate it but I wanna make S.H.I.E.L.D. pay for a new one."
Tony busted up laughing even as he shuddered a bit. "My god if you're not Tasha's kid..."
Anya laughed as she rushed to catch the elevator with Ryland. They rode down to the garage and got into Ryland's Camaro where Ryland pulled out the address the team had given them. He headed towards the Union Square address, stopping briefly for a cup of coffee at a Starbucks around the corner. He got Anya a cup as well before getting back in the car and pulling onto the busy New York streets. They were quiet a few minutes, the only sound being the engine and the dulled roar of the city passing them.
"So I was thinking," Ryland started, finally breaking the silence.
"I've heard nearly dying has that affect."
"Yes well it has had that affect on me." Ryland paused a second, peeking over at Anya from the corner of his eye. "And I guess the conclusion I've come to is...I'm glad it was you."
"What was me?" Anya asked with a raised brow.
"In the car with me. I mean I'm not glad you almost died too. What I mean is...if I'm gonna die, I want your face to be the last one I see."
Anya refrained from gasping a little as she listened to him. He looked embarrassed but Anya's smile was genuine so he kept talking.
"I mean who wouldn't want those big blue eyes to be the last thing they see?" he said with a self-conscious chuckle. "But I could've done without the wild hair. Seriously, did you see yourself after surfacing? It was like a lion's mane after rolling around the safari."
Anya laughed as she punched him hard on the arm. He laughed along with her as he grabbed her hand. Instead of pulling away she turned her hand over to lace their fingers together.
"I'm glad you were there too." she said softly, turning a tender smile his way. "I mean who wouldn't want that butt to be their last..." She let her sentence trail off, liking the sound of Ryland's laugh more than her words. She smiled at him, moving her thumb along the back of his hand.
"And while we're on the subject..." Anya mumbled after a few more minutes of silence. "I was just kidding about Brant. He's attractive, sure, but you're my partner, Rye. You're my best friend not him."
Ryland didn't say anything for a long few minutes before turning his eye to her at a red light. "Sometimes I get kind of worried." he admitted softly. "You're kinda beautiful, Ace, and I'm not the only one who notices. And I care about you. The idea of Brant taking advantage of you just...makes me freak out a little."
The air between them was suddenly thick and Anya felt tension rising. He turned his eyes back to the road as Anya watched him. Slowly, she slipped her hand out from under his. He didn't make a move or even a facial expression as she did so but she saw his shoulders move a little. She couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking but it didn't seem good. He looked tense, maybe even mad, possibly hurt.
So she tried making him laugh by saying, "How do you know I wouldn't be the one taking advantage of him?" sarcastically. But it didn't work. Ryland gave a fake smile and continued to watch the road, refusing to let his emotions show. But Anya knew she'd made the wrong move.
XXX
Agent Wilson watched a car pull up outside Dr. Kimble's apartment and recognized the kids that exited. He grumbled under his breath. He thought that locking them in the trunk of Sarah Wright's car would deter them from investigating further. They were obviously green but their stubbornness and the fact that they'd already gotten so far was the mark of great agents. He had to give them their props. But they weren't that good. Especially considering neither was aware they were being watched- by him or the others.
Agent Wilson shifted the scope of his sniper riffle to follow them up to the apartment, first finding them picking the lock in the hallway then again inside Dr. Kimble's office/study.
With eyes so tightly trained on the building, Agent Wilson hadn't gone inside. So he used the two young agents as his eyes inside. He'd have to get to them before they left- without tipping off the others to his presence and the kid's importance. Hopefully they'd go along with it the way they had at the parking lot. He hadn't hurt them yet and though they were probably chock full of ideas as to what he's done. S.H.I.E.L.D. no doubt told them all about Agent Wilson's past, present, and not so bright future. But even if they resisted, he'd get the information he desired. It'd be the best for everyone if they cooperated but he was prepared for anything; good, bad, ugly or painful.
Author's Note: The bit about Ryland's ass and him being a Chippendale is probably my favorite Aceland interaction to date haha of course it'll get bumped to 2nd when they finally get together, but for now this is my favorite. As always you can check out a set for this chapter on my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) under the title Linchpin: Eleven.
Thanks!