Chapter 11

Disclamer: I own nothing Marvel related!

**Authors note at the end!

Enjoyy :)


Takes place durring Avengers

Maria is still 16


"Levels are holding steady" said Pepper, before biting her lip. "I think."

"Of course they are. I was directly involved" said Tony. He had just unsuited, ignored a call from Coulson, and entered Stark Tower. Stark Tower was now a beacon of self sustaining energy.

"Which brings me to my next question: how does it feel to be a genious?"

"Well I wouldnt really know now, would I?"

"What do you mean? All this came from you."

"No. All this, came from that" said Pepper, tapping the arc reactor in Tony's chest. Tony rubbed Pepper's arms, before keeping his hands still on Pepper's shoulders.

"Give yourself some credit. Please. Stark Tower is your baby. Give yourself... 12 percent of the credit."

"12 percent?" asked Pepper, stepping back from Tony's grasp.

"An argument could be made for 15" said Tony, with a shrug of his shoulders. Pepper walked past Tony and over to the living room.

"12 percent?" she asked again. "For my baby?"

"Well I did do all the heavy lifting" said Tony, following behind her. "Literally, I lifted the heavy things. And sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you."

"Ohhh."

"My private elevator-"

"You mean our elevator?" Pepper interupted, but Tony ignored it.

"Was teeming with sweaty workmen" he finished, as they both kneeled down next to the glass coffee table. "Im gonna pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, arent I" he said, popping open a bottle of chamagne.

"Not gonna be that subtle" replied Pepper. Tony filled two glasses with the chamagne, and handed one to Pepper.

"I'll tell you what. Next buildings gonna say 'Potts' on the tower."

"On the lease" Pepper corrected. The two moved to clink glasses, but Tony hesitated, then pulled back.

"Call your mom, can you bunk over?" he asked, and Pepper laughed.

"Sir, the telephone. Im afraid my protocols are being overwritten" informed Jarvis. Tony rolled his eyes, immediatly knowing who was behind it.

"Stark, we need to talk" came Coulson's voice. Tony picked up his phone, and held it infront of his face.

"You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark. Please leave a message."

"Its urgent" Coulson insisted, but Tony kept up his act.

"Then leave it urgently." Tony recieved no reply over the phone, and instead, the elevator opened, and Agent Phil Coulson stepped out. Tony lowered his phone.

"Security breach! Thats on you" said Tony, pointing at Pepper.

"Mr. Stark" greeted Coulson.

"Phil! Come in" said Pepper, standing up.

"Phil?" questioned Tony, standing up and following close behind Pepper as she walked over to Coulson. "Um, his first name is Agent."

"Come on in" said Pepper, with a welcoming smile. "We're celebrating."

"Which is why he cant stay" mumbled Tony, with a noticably fake smile on his face.

"You need to look this over as soon as possible" said Coulson, holding a laptop out to Tony. He made a face.

"I dont like to be handed things."

"Thats all right, 'cause I love to be handed things. So lets trade" said Pepper, handing Coulson her glass of champagne and taking the laptop. She shoved the laptop into Tony's hands, then took her champagne back from Coulson. Tony held the laptop in his hands and stared at it for a moment, before looking up at Coulson.

"Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday."

"This isnt a consultation."

"Is this about the Avengers?" Pepper asked suddenly, then caught herself. "Which, I know nothing about."

"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped" said Tony, as he walked over to the closest table. "I thought. And I didnt even qualify."

"I didnt know that either" claimed Pepper.

"Yeah, apparently Im volatile, self-obsessed, and dont play well with others" Tony continued. Pepper smiled.

"That I did know."

"This isnt about personality profiles anymore" said Coulson, seriously.

"Whatever" said Tony, setting up the laptop on the table and motioning for Pepper to come over. "Miss Potts, got a minute?"

"Half a mo" said Pepper, holding up a finger then walking over to Tony. He kept his eyes on the laptop.

"You know, I thought we were having a moment."

"I was having 12 percent of a moment" said Pepper, and Tony couldnt hide his smirk.

"This seems serious" she added. "Phil seems pretty shaken."

"How did you notice? Why is he Phil?" Tony questioned, now looking at her. Pepper ignored him.

"What is all this?" she asked, looking at all the files on the laptop. Tony followed her gaze.

"This is... Well..." he started, before motioning for the information on the screen to appear in holographic form infront of them. "This." The two looked around at each of the Avengers' profiles, and the information on the tesseract.

"Im gonna take the jet to DC tonight" said Pepper.

"Tomarrow" Tony corrected, but Pepper shook her head.

"Youve got homework. Alot of homework."

"Well, what if I didnt?" Tony asked, looking to Pepper.

"You mean, if you finished?" she asked. Tony nodded.

"Well, then... Um..." Pepper said, before leaning into Tony and whispering something intimate in his ear that she would rather Coulson not hear. Tony's eyes widened.

"Square deal. Its the last date" he said, and Pepper leaned in to kiss him. Coulson looked down, feeling akward, but then looked behind him towards the elevator when it dinged. The doors opened, revealing Maria, who had a large bag over her shoulder. She was planning on staying at the tower for the weekend. She took in the sight of her father and Pepper kissing, and Coulson standing akwardly in the entryway, and sighed, amused.

"Welcome home Maria" she whispered to herself.

"Hi" greeted Coulson.

"Hey" said Maria, as she stepped out of the elevator to stand next to him. Tony and Pepper broke apart, both of them smiling. Tony looked behind Pepper, only expecting to see Coulson. When he realized Maria was there as well, his smile got larger.

"Maria!" he exclaimed, and Pepper turned around to see what he was talking about.

"Maria!" Pepper repeated, and Maria smiled as Tony and Pepper started to walk over to her.

"Hey" she said, dropping her bag next to Coulson and meeting them half way. Tony got to Maria first, and grabbed her in a hug.

"Why are you here? I thought you were coming tomarrow."

"Change in plans" she said, before letting go of Tony to hug Pepper. When they pulled apart, no one spoke. Maria looked back and forth between Coulson and Tony and Pepper.

"Something importants going on" she stated, and then a though hit her. "Does it have something to do with the Avengers?" Coulson looked past her to Tony with a dissaproving look, and he just smiled, smug, before confirming Maria's theory.

"Pretty much" he said, pointing over his shoulder to the holographic files.

"Im gonna go" said Pepper to Tony, before pecking him on the lips. "Work hard."

"I can give you a ride" offered Coulson.

"Where are you going?" asked Maria.

"DC, he has to study, and I have meetings" explained Pepper.

"Okay" said Maria, dissapointed that she wouldnt get to be with Pepper at all while she was home.

"Keep him on task" said Pepper, before hugging Maria, then following Coulson into the elevator. Tony and Maria watched the elevator doors close, then Maria turned and walked over to the hologram.

"Pepper was right" she said. "You do have homework."

"Yeah. You go unpack, youre a distraction" said Tony, walking over to stand next to Maria.

"Fine" she said, walking over and grabbing her bag which she left by the elevator. She started walking to in the direction of the room she picked while the tower was still under construction. This was the first time she had seen it finished.

"By the way, this place looks amazing" she said.

"Yeah" he said absent-mindedly. Maria rolled her eyes, then smiled. He was already engrossed in his files. Maria turned, and continued to her bedroom. Tony grabbed the holographic image of the tesseract, and frowned. His father had fished it out of the ocean while looking for Captain America. He had a bad feeling about this.

When Maria woke up in the morning, she was immediatly informed by Jarvis that Tony had left around 4 in the morning. Apparently, he took off towards Germany in his Iron Man suit. Maria decided she was okay with it. She would have time to wander around the tower and see how it turned out. She walked into the kitchen of the penthouse, and made a hot chocoalte. She grabbed the SHIELD laptop containing all the files Tony had been studying, and sat on the couch. She decided it was her turn to study. To see what her father was getting himself into.


Authors note:

Sorry for the short chapter! The next chapter will continue where this left off, I promise. Shoutout to McMuffin, the press doesnt know about Maria yet. People know she exists, but she keeps up the act as Pepper's niece so shes not the center of attention. But (SPOILER ALERT) the press will know soon!

Again, thank you all so much for the support!