The next chapter! I hope you like it, please let me know! As usual, thanks to everyone who read the last chapter and left a review! You're awesome! In this chapter, we'll see their first meeting from Pepper's POV. I'm sorry for possible spelling mistakes, I didn't have the time to read it again today.

Just a warning. Since I start to work tomorrow, I won't be able to write that many chapters within the week anymore. Most probably, I'll only have much time on the weekends. So please be patient and don't get worried when I don't post that much anymore. I'll still be there, I promise!

The song to this chapter is 'Wunderkind' by Alanis Morissette.

I don't own the characters or places!

Pepper

New York wasn't what I'd expected. From all the stories I'd head, I'd pictured it as a very big, chaotic and dirty city. Yes, it was still big, chaotic and dirty, but there was something else about it I couldn't quite explain. When I first saw the Statue of Liberty which had been placed there not too many years ago, I held my breath and stared at it with wide eyes. I'd never seen something like this. It was beautiful.

And that wasn't the only part of New York I liked. There was a big park in the middle of the city that caught my eye when we rode past it. I couldn't wait to have a closer look at it once we had the time. When we were riding past other exciting places, I was beginning to suspect that Phil had chosen this route for a reason. I smiled to myself and when he noticed my expression, he grinned, but we both didn't mention it.

We reached our destination, a hotel in Manhattan, in the early afternoon. From the outside, it looked like nothing special, but I didn't mind. I wasn't a woman who preferred to stay in those fancy, far too expensive places. When we entered the hotel, I was even glad that Phil had chosen it. Even the entrance hall looked comfortable and I couldn't wait to see our rooms. After riding for days, I really wanted to get out of those clothes and have a hot bath.

"It's so good to finally meet you, Ms. Potts, Mr. Coulson." We were greeted by the owner with a wide smile. "When your telegram reached us, we started to prepare everything immediately. I hope your stay will be a comfortable one."

"Thank you very much." Phil replied when he took our keys. "I'm sure everything will be perfect."

"You have a beautiful hotel." I added with a smile.

"Thank you, Miss." The owner, Mr. Turner, bowed his head. "Let me show you your rooms. Is there anything else you require?"

"A hot bath would be wonderful."

He nodded. "That is already prepared." He guided us through the hotel. Wide hallways, wooden floors and yellow walls. In most corners I could see plants or mirrors. I liked it.

When we arrived in front of our rooms, Mr. Turner turned to us again. "I must admit that I have forgotten something." He handed Phil a letter. "This is for you. It was delivered this morning."

I looked at the letter curiously, but Phil just nodded politely and gestured for me to follow him to his room, as soon as Mr. Turner left. Inside, I raised my eyebrows. "What is it?"

"I didn't open it yet. It is addressed to you." He stated the obvious and let his bag fall to the ground. "Shall we?"

I moved closer and noticed that the handwriting on the envelope looked very elegant. Just like the paper, I was sure that it had been quite expensive. When Phil took the letter, my eyes widened. The paper was a soft shade of red and full of flowers. Obviously expensive. But who would send that?

"Dear Ms. Potts" Phil began to read. "This morning, the news of your arrival here in New York have reached us. It is an honour to welcome you in this beautiful city! In the past weeks, the news of your articles have reached us and we would be delighted to meet you in person. This evening, there will be a party here in New York. A friend of ours organized it and he would be glad if you honour it with your presence. A very beautiful day and an enjoyable stay in New York, E. and B. Carlyle"

When he finished reading, he looked up at me. "Sounds like they're very important here in New York."

I nodded absent-mindedly. "I wonder why they invited us, though."

"Why they invited you." He corrected me.

"Us." I said simply and crossed my arms. "We can't say no to that, can we?" I hated parties. Especially when all the rich people would be there. I didn't fit in at such occasions.

"Unfortunately, we can't."

In this moment, I was glad that Phil had gotten me that blue dress back in Philadelphia. Otherwise, I wouldn't have anything to wear. I sighed deeply. "Fine. But I won't like it."

"I know." He replied. "But let's see it positive. Maybe Mr. Stark will be there. Then you can meet him before we'll watch the show."

I frowned. "Why would I want to meet him first?" Normally, I didn't really care about the people behind the magic shows. At least not when they were all liars. I doubted that Mr. Stark would be different. On our way to New York, I'd banned all hope I felt from my heart. This wouldn't be different than the last shows we visited. And Mr. Stark would just be another impostor.

"Just a thought." Phil replied simply and looked at his watch. "We still have a few hours until the party starts."

"Enough time for me to get ready." I muttered and picked up my bag again. "It will take hours to look presentable." I had to get all the dirt from the road off my skin. Most probably, I also needed to do something with my hair. Otherwise, it would look boring. And what about make-up? Did I even have that in my bag? I decided to worry about that later, smiled at Phil one last time and went to my own room.

The hot bath was everything I needed in this moment, I realized when I felt the water on my skin. I leaned back and closed my eyes with a sigh, enjoying the feeling. I tried to forget where I was and what we were about to do for a few minutes. Sometimes, it still amazed me where my path has led me in the end. I wanted to find magic. Instead, I was criticizing magicians. I decided not to wonder if my parents would have wanted this future for me.

After some time, I decided that I couldn't stay in the bath any longer. Otherwise, my skin would wrinkle and I really didn't want to look like an old lady at the party this evening. I dried myself with a wonderfully soft towel and took the dress out of the package carefully. The material was cold and smooth under my fingertips and again, I was amazed that I owned something like that now. Maybe I should thank Phil again, but surely, he didn't want to hear that.

After putting on the dress (which wasn't that easy all on your own), I looked in the mirror and tried to decide what to do with my hair. As usual, it was falling over my back in long curls. Maybe I should put it up somehow, though I didn't know how. I wasn't very skilled when it came to those things. As for the make-up... I really didn't have that anymore. Apparently, I'd lost it somewhere south of Atlanta, when we had to hide from a storm in a forest. One of my bags got lost in the course of that and we never found it again.

There was a soft knock on the door and a few seconds later, Phil entered the room. I turned to him, my mouth already open to ask how I looked, but then I froze and stared at him. I knew it was impolite, but I couldn't help it. He looked incredible! His hair combed back neatly, wearing a simple black suit... I'd always known that Phil was a handsome man, but right now, it was really hard to miss.

"You look stunning!" I said once he closed the door behind himself.

"That's what I should say to you, Pepper." His voice was soft and full of emotion. I realized that he'd called me Pepper and swallowed. That's what my mother had always called me, back when I was a child.

"Phil..."

"Your parents would be proud of you." He whispered and I thought that I could see tears in his eyes, but then Phil blinked and they were gone again. I must have imagined it. "You look like your mother."

My mother. Phil's sister. I smiled and now I was the one with tears in my eyes. I shook my head. "She was far more beautiful than I could ever be." I argued softly.

"I have to disagree. You're beautiful."

"I was wondering what I should do with my hair." I said, not knowing what to respond.

Phil chuckled. "It looks good like this. You don't have to do anything about it."

"But these days, the ladies are always doing so many things with their hair..." I shrugged helplessly.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Since when do you care what others do?"

"We're invited to a party in New York. People will talk."

"They're already talking about you." Phil threw in. "You shouldn't worry about that."

I turned to the mirror again. Most probably, they would already talk about my dress. It showed too much skin. I sighed. "Fine, it'll stay like this."

"Good." Suddenly, Phil grinned. "You wouldn't have the time to do anything with your hair anyway. We have to leave, the carriage should be waiting outside."

Ignoring my protests, he left the room and I followed him hastily.

On our way to the party, I looked out of the window of our carriage curiously. In the darkness, New York was completely different. Full of lights and people. When I thought that it was crowded before, it had been nothing compared to now. There were many people on the streets. Couples on their way to the theatre, men who wanted to have a drink together and even some children playing outside, ignoring the protests of their mothers who tried to call them back inside. This city was so full of life and I couldn't get enough. It made me want to see even more.

Of course I knew that every city also had a dark side and New York wouldn't be any different. However, I decided to ignore that for now. Right now, I just enjoyed seeing so many happy people. I wondered if the party would also be like this, but I highly doubted it. The rich were never this carefree. It was seen as a weakness. Maybe that was why I didn't like being around them at all.

When we arrived at our destination, I swallowed. The house was big, nearly looking like a castle. And it was completely white. I wasn't sure where exactly we were, but from the time it took us to arrive here, I thought that we weren't in the main parts of the city anymore. From the outside, everything looked calm, but there were people entering the building, so I knew we were in the right place.

When I looked at the couple who just entered the mansion more closely, I was glad that I'd chosen to wear the blue dress. Now I also knew that it didn't show too much skin. Apparently, I'd just missed the latest trend in fashion. Not that it would surprise me, of course.

The carriage stopped and Phil helped me to get outside with a smile on his lips. "Just relax, I'll be with you the entire time." It didn't surprise me that he'd sensed my nervousness. I could never hide my feelings from him.

"Thank you." I whispered and smiled back at him.

We walked towards the building slowly and before we reached the door, a man greeted us with a wide smile. "I'm so glad you could make it, Ms. Potts, Mr. Coulson!" I wasn't sure how old he was, but his hair was already grey. From the way he dressed and talked, I knew that this man had much influence. "My name is Edward Carlyle."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Carlyle." I took the hand he offered me with a smile. Something about his smile bothered me, but I didn't know why. "I assume you sent us the invitation?"

He nodded. "Together with my wife, Bella. She should be here any moment." He turned to Phil and greeted him as well. Then he began to ask about our journey to New York and Phil answered those questions politely, giving me the time to look around. From the inside, the building was even more impressing and I had to force myself not to stare at everything with an open mouth. I'd never been in a building this big and opulent before. We followed Mr. Carlyle through long hallways and the few people we met there were staring at us. I acted as if I didn't notice, but deep inside, I started to feel uncomfortable.

A short distance before we reached a big door that led to the ballroom, a woman appeared next to Mr. Carlyle. His wife. She also greeted us with a smile, but there was a gleam in her eyes I couldn't quite place. Especially when she asked about our reason for coming to New York.

"We heard about this wonderful city and had to see it." Phil answered smoothly. "What would a journey be without a short detour to New York City?"

She didn't seem impressed by this. Instead, she turned to me. "Are you going to see Mr. Stark's show, Ms. Potts?"

Luckily, I didn't have to answer that question. Her husband shook his head before I could say anything. "Don't listen to my wife, she's far too curious." He laughed at this and we all joined his laughter. However, I knew that there had been more behind her question. Her expression told me as much, just as the emotion that flickered over his face, something I couldn't quite place. I glanced at Phil, but he didn't show any signs that he'd noticed it as well.

Then we entered the ballroom and the conversation was over for now.

When I'd felt uncomfortable under the curious glances of the people around us before, it had been nothing compared to now. Suddenly, the people closest to us were staring and whispering. I heard my name more than once, but didn't show that I'd heard them. In fact, I ignored the whispers and stares at all, just like Phil did next to me. Slowly, the noise was spreading through the entire room and I wondered how many people were at this party. I tried to count them, but lost track of the number very fast. My heart was beating wildly in my chest and I really hoped that I looked calm from the outside. I didn't want them to think that I was weak.

Even if it was completely stupid, the feeling of being watched intensified all of the sudden. It felt as if not just dozens of people were staring at me, but as if I was crushed with the weight of those stares. Or rather just one stare, I realized. And I knew exactly where it came from.

I turned my head and suddenly, I was looking directly into the eyes of the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. My rapid heartbeat was slowing down when our eyes met, just to speed up again. This time, however, it felt erratic. I felt myself shiver, though it was far from cold in the ballroom. I was aware that I was still in the middle of the attention, but I didn't care any longer. I was focused on that man in the crowd and it felt like nothing else mattered.

The first thing I noticed were his brown eyes. His hair was black and styled perfectly. He had a beard in the same colour that looked... different. I couldn't describe it any other way. I'd never seen anyone wear it like this before, and I'd seen lots of people on our travels. Somehow, it emphasized his jaw... He was wearing a dark blue suit which set him apart from all the men surrounding him. However, it didn't look out of place. It suited him and I already suspected that nothing about this man was normal. I knew he stood out wherever he went.

I glanced at the two men accompanying him shortly, but there was nothing special about them. One was older, with grey hair. He seemed to be curious why everyone kept staring at us. The other one had brown hair and piercing blue eyes. I wasn't sure why, but he reminded me of Mr. Carlyle. There was a slight frown on his face, but I realized that his eyes weren't on me. He was looking at the people next to me – Mr. and Mrs. Carlyle. So maybe they were indeed related?

My eyes moved to the mysterious man who'd caught my attention once more, but then Phil took my arm next to me and began to guide me towards the crowd. All at once, I came back to reality and had to avert my eyes from the man. Apparently, Phil's movement also broke the spell which had been lying on all the others. The people turned around again and focused on their conversations again. Now that we weren't in the centre of attention any longer, I relaxed. Now I could only feel the eyes of one person on me, though I didn't turn to him again.

"Phillip is here." I heard Mrs. Carlyle whisper to her husband. "And he's with him." The disapproval in her voice couldn't be missed.

"Of course he is." Mr. Carlyle muttered. "Did you expect anything else?" I knew that this conversation wasn't meant for my ears, so I kept looking around quietly.

"I was hoping that he would come to his senses again."

"He's been with him for a long time now, Bella. Only a miracle can make him come back." From the corner of my eyes, I saw them both looking at me. I wondered what all this was about, but then Phil began to talk to a couple he knew from somewhere and I was too distracted to think of it any longer. When I wanted to turn to them once more, Mr. and Mrs. Carlyle had vanished in the crowd. I wasn't sad that they'd left us alone for now.

I wasn't sure how long Phil had been talking to the couple, but at some point, they left. For a moment, we were alone and I was glad that Phil had chosen a table in a corner of the big ballroom. That gave us at least some privacy. We were both silent and I took a small sip of my drink. I wasn't sure what exactly it was, but I thought I could taste strawberries.

After a while, Phil shifted next to me and when I followed his gaze to see what had caught his attention, I froze. It was him. The man who'd caught my attention when we first entered the ballroom. Right now, he was walking towards us slowly, a drink in his hand. He greeted a few people with a slight smile on his lips and I noticed that many of them grinned when they saw him. Not all of them in a polite way.

Now that he was closer to me, I had to force myself not to stare at him. He was even more handsome than from the distance. I hoped that my heart wouldn't start beating so fast again and was glad when I could remain relatively calm.

"Good evening to you." The man said when he stopped close to our table. At the sound of his voice, I shivered once more. "You must be Ms. Potts. It's an honour to meet you." He bowed his head and turned to Phil. "And Mr. Coulson."

"It's good to meet you too, Mr. …?" Phil raised his eyebrows and the man laughed. It was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard.

"I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tony Stark." He smiled at us charmingly, but didn't hold out his hand to shake it. I barely noticed that. Once he told us his name, my mind started to race. This was Tony Stark? The Tony Stark, owner of the famous magic show in New York?

"Mr. Stark." Next to me, Phil smiled at him. "We've heard many things about you."

Mr. Stark chuckled. "I hope only the good ones."

"That depends." I threw in, not able to hold myself back.

He quirked an eyebrow. "On what?"

"What you consider as good." I smiled at him and he laughed once more.

"Then I have to say that I also heard many things about you, Ms. Potts." He threw in.

"I hope not the good ones." I said simply.

"The worst." He said and grinned. I looked at him more closely, my mind still racing. Could this man really be a real magician? From his looks and the way he acted, I highly doubted it. He seemed to be a good actor, something every fake magic show required. But there was something else about him... I still wondered why I'd noticed him staring at me immediately. And why my heart was beating so furiously every time he smiled. In this moment, I couldn't wait to see his show.

"We heard that you have a show here in New York." Phil said.

"That's why you're here, isn't it?" Mr. Stark asked curiously. "To see what I'm capable of."

"We're looking for the real magicians, Mr. Stark." I explained and smiled at him, already knowing that it must look fake. "Not the good actors."

"Who says that I'm an actor?" He wanted to know. There was real curiosity in his voice.

"I'm not making any conclusions yet. After all, I didn't see your show."

"I'm sure you will love it." He replied simply.

"That has to be seen." Something about this man was challenging me, but I couldn't explain what it was.

"I can't wait."

"You should be careful what you wish for." I warned him. "I'm a very hard critic."

"So you assume that I should be worried?" Again, he quirked an eyebrow.

"I know it." I knew that Phil was watching our conversation nervously, but I didn't look at him. I had the feeling that, if I would look away right now, I'd lose some kind of silent battle between us.

"I'm sorry to say that, but you won't scare me that easily, Ms. Potts." He smiled slightly.

"If what you're doing is real, you have no reason to be scared, Mr. Stark." I said simply.

"Well, then it seems like I can sleep well tonight, without nightmares haunting me."

For a few moments, we just looked at each other silently. I wasn't sure what to think of him. Could he really be a magician? From the things he said, I wasn't so sure. Seemed like I would have to wait for his show to be able to judge that.

Suddenly, a man appeared behind Mr. Stark and whispered something into his ear. I recognized the man who'd been with him before. Whatever he was saying, Mr. Stark tensed at this, but the smile remained on his lips. He looked at us. "It seems like I have to excuse myself. Ms. Potts, Mr. Coulson, I'm sure I'll see you soon." Without waiting for our reply, Tony Stark vanished in the crowd, leaving me more confused than ever.