No Beta
Ner words in this chapter: 2,948
"Talking"
"Talking in another language than English"
'Thinking'
{Talking on the phone/over the fireplace/Two-way mirror}
{Text message}
–Parseltongue–
Thinking in 3rd person POV/Dream/Memory/Flashback/Others
Letter/Journal/Book/Newspaper
Time change/Date of time
Change of POV
Chapter XXIV
–What is Wrong, Princess?–
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
VP's POV
Pepper smiled thankful at Rolf as he gave her a 'ride' to Tony's house from Stark industries and waited for her and Tony to take them back. The two entered the living room to see Tony and Evans sleeping on the couch, Tony was sitting with his head leaned back and Harry was sitting at Tony's side with his head on Tony's shoulder.
"Potts." Pepper turned to the side to see the children's personal bodyguard and babysitter. The man was again with Evan's apron on and was by the kitchen door. "They stayed awake all night."
Pepper hummed and approached, entering the kitchen. The four kids waved at once.
"Morning Pepper."
"Good morning. Why did they stay awake all night? Evans knew Tony had to work early."
Barton smiled amused.
"Not that kind of staying awake. The American Magical Minister came over last night, apparently Kingshot has claimed Black as a threat, or something, and Stark woke the whole American Magical Community to take care of the issue."
Rolf hummed and when Pepper turned to him inquisitively he explained himself.
"I've heard of it. About how Evans was being badmouthed in Britain but Luna said to let it go. That it wasn't the first and wouldn't be the last time they did it."
Pepper nodded.
"Next time inform me at once."
"Yes, Madam."
"Rolf, came with me; you're going to take Evans to his bed while I awake Tony. Barton, you prepare the kids for leaving immediately." The quartet looked up their interest peeked. "I can't leave you four here to wake you'll father after staying awake late. Barton will take you all to the expo. Will give Stark Industries good image as the 'boss' children are visiting their Father's expo and will give you and Barton something to do."
Barton groaned to himself.
"Fine I'll take them there alone... but I won't be ridding the baby roundabouts or go to pink or, god help me, princess booths!"
Pepper and Rolf traded an amused look as Lilu bit her bottom lip and started to win watering eyes, her brothers taking their hands to their ears as they hid under the table. Rolf and Pepper left the kitchen at once only to see the lights start to flicker. Pepper never felt so relieved that Tony had made sure that the house was magic-proof.
"Barton must enjoy her screaming's." Rolf mumbled amused.
"At least she's crying here and not in public. Last time she made a fit in front of the media it took me hours to manage to take all the videos from the internet." Pepper retorted.
–UNF–
CB's POV
{Natasha.}
{Nat... I really need a big favour!} Clint stated as soon as his red-haired friend answered the phone.
{Please tell me you didn't get fired... again.}
{No... Potts wants me to take the children alone to Stark Expo.}
Natasha hummed.
{It doesn't seem so bad.}
{I need you to come with me.} Clint pleaded.
{What? Why?}
{Please, you'll be my life saviour.} Clint knew that Natasha would kill him later when she found out the why. The pouting Lilu approached and offered her arm to be lent the cellphone. {Wait a second, the almighty Princess Lilu wants to speak with you.}
Clint passed the cellphone to the girl. He never thought that when he accepted the job as a bodyguard he would become more than just a bodyguard... he was practically their nanny! The boys were cool... but Lilu freaked him out with all her pinkness and princessness.
{Hi, Nat. Clint is being meanie. Pepper told him to take us to Mummy's Expo but he refuses to take me to the things I like.} The girl said to the cellphone and when Clint tried to retort she glared at him with the infamous Potter's glare that made everyone shut up and turned her back on him. Clint could handle many things... a young girl apparently wasn't one of them. Clint glared at the trio as they dared to snicker at his account. {Can you come please? Pretty please?}
"Lilu 4 – Clint 0." James mumbled. "You owe me. I told you that if she did the glare he would back down." The boy continued, looking at Ted pointedly.
Ted huffed.
"Fine. My next allowance I'll buy you chocolate frogs." Ted groaned and glared at Clint. "She isn't that scary, you know?"
Finally Lilu passed Clint the cellphone with a smile.
"She said she would meet us there." The girl happily said, practically dancing.
Clint couldn't help the relived breath that only made the boys chuckle.
"Good, now eat, I'm going to prepare your clothes quickly." He ordered them and turned around leaving the room and going to do as he said he would.
Scamander had already taken Potter upstairs and Potts was giving Stark a preview of what was going to be told in the commission.
"Morning, Legolas." Stark said as Potts went to fetch him coffee and Scamander descended the stairs.
"Morning, Stark. Did Potts told you how she thought that you and Potter had done It last night?"
Stark hummed.
"If we had had time we would have done it, trust me." Stark argued. "The chaps?"
"Finishing eating, I'm going to prepare their clothes."
Potts looked up from her tablet that she looked at after giving Stark his café.
"No need, I told Rolf to do that. Just make sure they eat quickly or Tony will get late." She explained and Clint noticed that Scamander had a clothes heap in his arms, that he approached and passed Clint the top ones.
Clint nodded grateful and returned to the kitchen as Scamander went to give Stark his clothes. When he entered Ted was saving the dishes inside the washing machine and was helping his siblings to wash their face and hands in the washbasin that was too high for Albus and Lilu.
"Clothes." He said and showed the heap that he put on the table and separated the clothes between the four. "I don't believe I need to recapitulate that when we're there you can't leave my or Nat's side, right?"
"If we get separated then we use the necklace." The four said at the same time showing a necklace Scamander had given them a while ago when Lilu had run away from Clint.
Clint looked at the girl pointedly.
"But that's no reason to separate from the group, it is just for emergencies." She added with a pout.
Clint took the apron and let them dress the clothes, having to help Lilu and Albus twice as they were dressing the clothes with the back to the front and then left the kitchen with them. Stark was already up and ready and the kids run to him hugging him.
"Hi, Kiddos, be good to Legolas, will you?" the man said, looking pointedly to a pouting Lilu.
The girl nodded with a huff and Potts approached her, brushing her nest of a hair quickly and efficiently. Clint looked at Stark as the man played with Albus and James and at the same time arranged their clothes. Everything Clint had read in the man's file was true, but there was so much in the file that Stark didn't show in public. The simple fact that Stark had been ready to marry Potter showed how much he was really committed into the relationship, that it wasn't just something he was having right now. It was meant to last. He didn't care just for the man, but also for his children. And that was something that wasn't part of the file.
A phone rang and Stark picked a cellphone from his pocket and answered.
{Tony Stark.} Stark frowned and took the cellphone from his ear and looked at it then took it back to his ear. {This is his husband, to whom am I speaking?} Clint chuckled as the children snickered at the fact that Stark was unknowingly with Potter's cellphone. Stark took the cellphone from his ear and looked to the kids. "Do we have a Cousin Bruce in the family?"
Clint tensed, he had been told about the Lilu/Hulk accident, as Lilu shrieked happily, run to the phone and picked it, taking it to her ear.
{Bruce. I thought you had left and forgotten about us, about me.}
Clint had to contain his laugh at the idea of the huge Hulk being scolded by Lilu. Stark looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"They met him when you went to Afghanistan." Clint explained. "Lilu took a liking for him and wouldn't leave him alone, forcing him to playhouse with her… and you have no idea how the idea in itself it's hilarious." He explained when Stark approached as Lilu was scolding the doctor over the phone so he would came right now.
"Who is he?" Stark asked, looking at Lilu as the girl was probably giving the man on the other side the sermon of his life.
"Do you remember a few years back a green accident?" Clint asked instead since he wasn't allowed to give that information.
Stark frowned and then his eyes grow.
"The Hulk?"
"He likes to play hide and seek with Lilu." Ted commented. "Dad and Uncle almost had a heart attack."
"Yeah… Lilu become really attached to both The Hulk and Cousin Bruce." James stated. "And he's on calming drinks, diagnosed by Uncle so it's not like the Hulk would just appear, but even so he left as soon as Dad returned from Afghanistan."
"You would like him, Mum." Ted said and both Clint and Potts contained their chuckle as Stark groaned at the name. "He's a scientist…"
Lilu approached with tears in her eyes and gave Stark the cellphone. Stark picked her up.
"What is wrong, Princess?"
"He's out of the country… and he didn't had more coins to keep calling on the phonebooth."
Clint saw as Stark traded a look with Potts and the woman nodded briefly, taking her tablet out and writing something there. Finally they all approached and Rolf transported them, first they left Stark and Potts on a free apparating place in Washington where Happy Hogan was waiting for them and then apparated with the quartet and Clint to a free apparating spot in the Stark Industries. Clint took the kids to a car that he had been given by Stark and drove to the Stark Expo, knowing he should warn SHIELD that Stark was thinking of locating the Doctor and bring him to NY. Why the man had called Potter and not Betty Ross was a mystery to Clint but not his place to question. The happiness in Lilu's eyes at hearing that it was the Doctor had been so big… although hearing her hiccups now was horrible as Albus kept promising her that the Doctor was alright and that Stark would find a way. Clint really didn't want to know why the boy was so certain.
Natasha was at the entrance waiting for them and approached when he parked the car.
"Hi Nat."
–UNF–
AES's POV
Tony left the Senate Commission with Pepper at his side on her tablet, Happy already opening the car's door for them.
"Did Jarvis locate the call?" he asked as soon as they were inside.
"Yes, it's in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and he also found possible places where he might be working at right now." Pepper answered showing him the tablet.
Tony hummed looking at the various places she was showing.
"This one, the green juice fabric one."
"Are you sure?" Pepper asked as she opened the coordinates.
"If I'm not, he'll flee then." Tony retorted with a shrug. "Prepare Evans' flat for living, will you? It's been months since someone set a foot there." Pepper nodded. "Send the jet to Brazil as well, we'll have to fly back in it, I'm not sure the suit will handle the flight back." Pepper hummed and turned to her tablet, writing something on it. "And I want you to check those schools Evans had checked the other time for Kenai, and private schools for the trio."
"May I ask why?"
"Paparazzi." Tony argued. "And more protection. Besides, I would prefer a school in NY for the four of them so they would be close to where I and Evans work… just in case. Not to mention that Evans said that if the paparazzi or the quartet's colleagues would start to pick on the kids I would start to pay the schools, so it's not like he can argue like last time."
Pepper nodded.
"Happy, stop when you can, Tony will fly away." She put in and Happy nodded. "And Tony do return in hours. Evans wouldn't be happy that his husband would fled even before they made 24 hours."
Tony grinned.
"He doesn't get rid of me that easily." He argued. When Happy stopped, he put the Iron Man suitcase and flew away to the coordinates Pepper had sent to his Iron Man screen.
Not long into the flight and Jarvis transmitted him a call.
{Tony Stark.}
{Where are you?} Harry's voice asked and from the sound he was eating something.
{South America.} Tony answered.
{What? Why?}
Tony had to contain his smile at the worried frown he could hear in those questions.
{Don't worry, I'll be home in no time. Talking about home. The kids are with Legolas at the Expo, if you'll want you can find them there.}
{I will. When do you get back?}
{If I get back as quick as I'm travelling there then in time for dinner, Pretty Eyes.}
{See you this night then.}
Tony took a relieved breath when Harry hung-up the call without asking further, he wasn't willing to listen to his lover scream at his ears while flying because he was fetching Princess her friend. Doing that once had been more than enough! Tony arrived Rio de Janeiro and flew to the place where he suspected the Cousin was working, pictures of him showing in the screens so he would know what kind of man to look for. It was in the poorest part of the city, Favela, what was the best place to go when you didn't want to be found.
–UNF–
Tony sat on the Cousin's 'home' as the man packed his things a little unwillingly.
"I'm not really sure if this is such a good idea." The man argued once again.
"If you're medicated I don't see why the big issue. Besides I'm a big fan of how you turn into a big green angry beast."
The man stopped and looked at Tony unsure if Tony had insulted him or not.
"Thanks… I guess." The man said unsure. "Well… you're perfect for Evans. Did he told you he left the kids on my care for two months after barely meting me?"
"No. But Princess become a crying mess when you hung up the call."
The man scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"And you decide to fly to another country to calm her down?"
Tony nodded.
"Of course. She's my daughter in everything but blood. Why shouldn't I do it?" Tony argued sipping from the juice as the cousin's dog sat at his side begging to be petted. Tony looked at it with a smile and petted it, while wondering if the kiddos would agree in having a dog instead of the pests. "Besides why are you so afraid of returning to NY?"
"General Ross."
Tony hummed.
"I know him I used to give him the money and the means for his works, what about it?"
"He wants to separate me from my other self and desiccate him to create others like him to fight in the war for him."
"Well… I suppose you're considered a Magical Creature now." Tony argued and picked his phone calling Rolfy. {Rolfy, its Tony Stark. I have a question. When we, normal Muggle beings, manage to transform ourselves into enormous monsters that make us a Magical Creature, right?}
{Yes, most Werewolves are Muggles.}
{Then this means that if Muggles know about this creature…}
{Their mind has to be erased. What is going on, Stark?}
{My husband's Cousin is a Muggle who managed to transform himself into a whole new creature that when angry transform himself into a green monster. Some Muggles officials want to study him and learn how to create more like him.}
{He's American?}
{Yes.}
"I'll contact the American Magical Creatures Ministry Department so they can take care of this issue.}
{Good.}
{I will need to know the exact location of the specimen.}
{He'll be at my place in a few hours. If everything goes well, he'll be staying at the apartment over Evan's café by tomorrow.} Tony answered before hanging up. "Did you know you're considered a specimen now?" He asked amused.
"I'm not magical. It's science." The doctor argued.
"We know that… the Wizards don't need to know that." Tony retorted. "Now are you ready? I just got married, I want to go kiss my husband… and get laid, seriously be ready quickly!"
(TBC)
Hi
Next: Harry and Tony get laid :-P…
~Isys