The Hunters and the Prey - Chapter Forty
Author: Milady Dragon
Author's Note: This chapter is just a little bit of filler, to set up things to come. :)
When Sir Steven and Dr. Wilson returned to the castle, the time-displaced Paladin looked just a little bit less haunted than before they'd left.
Pepper thought this was a very good thing indeed.
She'd known they wouldn't be able to keep him isolated. That was exactly the wrong thing to do, but she'd needed someone else to make that determination, someone with the experience to see it and recognize it for what it was. She was just fine with that because, while she knew her strengths, counseling in that form wasn't one of them. No matter that Tony claimed she was perfect and good at everything.
She wasn't.
Tony was totally biased.
And she loved him for it.
When the packages from town had started arriving, Pepper had been glad that Dr. Wilson was following her instructions about getting Sir Steven everything he'd need. She was aware that the Paladin would want to pay them back at some point, but that could wait until he was settled. It wasn't as if Tony or Jarvis would notice the sudden expenditures…well, Jarvis would, because he kept the household accounts. Tony, however, was pretty well blind to the day-to-day running of the Barony and the castle, which was just the way he wanted it.
The money that Sir Steven was spending was but a mere drip into the rain barrel for the Stark household. The only reason she would ever agree with him to pay it back was because he wouldn't have accepted it otherwise. She and Tony were determined to help in whatever way they could, and if Pepper hadn't volunteered the letter of credit then Tony would have just flung however many gold coins he could hold in two hands at Sir Steven and walked away.
Honestly, she loved Tony to bits but he had no interpersonal skills whatsoever, and Pepper would have had to clean up the mess.
She had warned Jarvis that he would be receiving bills from town, and he'd taken the news with equanimity, as if he'd been expecting that very thing to happen. Maybe he had, knowing his employers so well. He was very much aware of their generosity and would have been prepared for anything in the way of aid to their guest.
Pepper wasn't about to admit that she'd been hovering in the hallway, waiting for them to get back. Doctor Wilson didn't look fooled, though, which had Pepper smiling at his insight. "How was your day?" she inquired politely.
Sir Steven gave her a brilliant smile that was only slightly tinged with bemusement. "The town is quite lovely…although a little larger than what I'm used to."
She wanted to ask if he'd been overwhelmed at any time, but she stayed silent. If that had occurred then they wouldn't have been gone as long as they had. Pepper felt like she could trust Dr. Wilson with Sir Steven's health and sanity; there was just something about the man that screamed 'trustworthy' and she was inclined to listen.
"You're both just in time for dinner," she said. "Of course, you're welcome to stay, Dr. Wilson."
"It's Sam," he said, "and if it's not an imposition – "
"Not at all. Although, it means you might have to deal with Tony." She laughed, to let him know she was simply poking a little at her husband, but at the same time she was completely serious. Tony could be a handful, and with a new person in the house…perhaps Bruce could distract him a little. "Or he might not even show up, if he's in the throes of invention."
Doctor Wilson – Sam – gave her an understanding smile. "Geniuses often get a bad reputation for being forgetful or rude, when it's simply the fact that they have so many ideas in their heads that what they consider as inconsequential are often disregarded. Like eating. And birthing days."
It was nice to meet someone who understood what she'd discovered by trial and error. "Jarvis and Ana have already made enough for all, so of course it's not an imposition."
"Well, then, I'll be glad to stay."
"We also have a room ready for you if you choose to stay the night."
Sam shook his head, grinning. "Now, that is an imposition. Besides, I didn't bring anything with me to change into."
"I'm certain we can find something," Sir Steven cut in. "After all, something was found for me…before our shopping trip, of course."
"Only if Sam wants to." She turned back to the half-Elf. "You'd be welcome, but I would certainly understand you preferring to stay in town."
"Actually," Sam said, "I live in the Falcon Enclave."
"Oh that's right…Andrew did say something about that," Pepper recalled. The Falcon Enclave was the closest Elven Enclave to Ferrous, about an hours' ride from town.
"Would it be possible to visit the enclave?" Sir Steven asked, curiosity lighting his eyes.
"I don't see why not," Sam mused. "I'll have to arrange it, but my mother would welcome your visit. Why don't we plan on that for tomorrow?"
"Sounds like a plan."
Pepper wanted to beam at both of them. They were getting along so well, it was just what the Paladin needed, after finding himself in a different time.
"If we're going to do that, then I should be heading out right after dinner." Sam turned to Pepper. "Allow me to say that it's been a real pleasure to meet you, Mistress Pepper."
"If I'm calling you Sam, then you should call me Pepper."
He gave her a winning smile. "Pepper it is." He gallantly took her hand and kissed the back.
Pepper, because she was married to Tony Stark, overdramatically put her free hand over her heart and pretended to swoon.
Sir Steven laughed heartily at that, and Sam winked at her. "You are trouble. We are going to get along famously."
"I do hope so." She thought they could become quite good friends. She'd have to thank Andrew personally for sending this silly man along to them.
She showed them both where they could freshen up before dinner, herself very curious about the enclave. She'd only been out there once, and wondered if she could somehow invite herself along tomorrow. She'd need to check her schedule and see if she was free, although she very much doubted it. She'd been disregarding her duties to her students, and she'd need to at least work on lessons. She wondered about Daisy, and if she would be available for any sort of tutorials she could arrange. What with the distraction of Hydra and of her father becoming Grand Master, Pepper's Novice was bound not to have had her mind on studying.
She needed to get back with Phil, to find out if he'd given any more thought to Wanda Maximoff as a Novice. Probably not, as she was quite certain he was busy with trying to figure out how to kick Hydra out of the Wizard's Guild.
Pepper really needed to check in with everyone. Being back at the Barony and not at Gateway meant she was out of the loop of all the news. So she might need to put off going anywhere tomorrow.
Sir Steven came out of the facilities, a definite spring in his step. She gave him a smile. "All of your new purchases were sent up to your room."
"I'll pay you back for everything."
Yes, she had been expecting that. "Whenever you can. We can work out something once you know what you'll be doing after you get settled."
He gave her a sunny smile. "I suspect you were already thinking I'd say something along those lines."
"I was, yes."
"Thank you for not saying I could just forget about it."
"I wouldn't do that. I understand morals and scruples, and you wouldn't have wanted to accept charity even though Tony and I would never really miss the small amount of money you've spent so far."
He nodded, gratified. "Let me go upstairs and get some things put away before dinner. If you can point Sam in the right direction when he comes out…?"
"I will. It should be ready at half past. The dining room is through there." She pointed down the hall past the stairs. "Second door on the left."
"We'll be on time." He turned toward the stairs, but then hesitated for a moment. "I did want to thank you for everything, Mistress Pepper – "
"Pepper, please."
"Pepper. Then it's Steve."
If she had to admit it, he really was more of a Steve than a Sir Steven. History, after all, had a tendency to puff things up, and the Paladin of the Western Lands was a hero of every story dating from the Century War.
She was much more interested in getting to know Steve.
"Steve, you don't have to thank us. We just want to help."
"Well, thank you anyway. I'll see you at dinner." He gave her a small, old-fashioned bow and withdrew upstairs, carrying what bags he hadn't had sent to the castle up with him.
Pepper smiled to herself. Everything looked to be working out with Steve. Hopefully, his assimilation into this time would go as smoothly as it looked to be so far.