All day Saturday and into Sunday morning Xander received random texts from Safira. Nothing much but enough that he knew she was having fun and that Steve hadn't hurt her. Not that he'd expected it, not from Steve, but a father could worry.
Sunday afternoon, Jolie was down in the lab, working on testing an idea for her research paper. She'd tested out of so many classes she was on track to have her bachelors in two years, Xander had refused to let her kill herself with course overload, she still needed time to play which was why Disney delighted him. Even if Tony had to turn it into an event.
The date tonight had his attention but he still didn't know what to make for dessert, where to take her, or what to wear. He didn't exactly have a wide range of clothes.
"You think she'll be okay with the same stuff I wore for the dancing and night out when the girls were here?" He asked Jarvis, staring at his woeful closet. "Because I think I owned more clothes when I was in high school."
"I believe Miss Lewis will be more than appreciative of your wardrobe, Xander."
Xander paused looking at the ceiling. "Can you believe? Is that something you can do or is it all probability and weighing on the most likely version?"
"Isn't that the definition of belief that is not linked to faith?" Jarvis said.
"Maybe, but it makes me wonder. At what point does the programming stop and the person begin?"
"When that has been discovered I will be sure to enlighten you."
"Ha, funny Jarvis. Okay clothes figured out. But where do I take her? Can you recommend anything? Anything I can afford that is. I'm not Tony. Nice place but not over the top." Xander shut the door and headed to the main room, pulling out his phone as it pinged. "Sex or Steve being adorable? Any bets?"
"I would not dare to wager a guess as it could easily be both." Jarvis replied dryly. "I do have a few restaurants with excellent food per Miss Potts that have openings for tonight. Nothing too extreme, but nicer than McDonalds."
Xander grinned as he unlocked the screen. "Sounds good. Give me a minute and then hit me with the options."
*Brides want you. FIL wounded. Wedding party missing. Going for refreshments.*
Xander looked at the screen and felt every hair on his body stand up straight. "Jarvis, find every one. Where are they right now? Include Maria." He snapped out the words as he headed at a run to the elevator. Finding and checking on Jolie was priority, then Darcy. Then he'd figure out where Safira was headed. "Add that Sam guy in to the list. I want to know where he and Steve are right this moment."
The elevator doors slid close as Xander thought frantically. Safira never over reacted. And for her to text that, something no one would get, but brought back the brides incident in stark detail. While they normally told that story as a joke, in the middle of it laughter had been the farthest thing from their minds and they'd emerged covered in blood and gore.
"Xander is there an issue?" Jarvis asked his voice oddly hesitant.
"Yes. I don't know what. Jarvis, I know you don't owe me anything, and you have no reason to take orders from me. Especially when I don't have any answers right now. But I trust Safira with my soul and she just sent a red alert telling she is in big trouble and so is everyone else."
A long moment of silence, one that stretched until the doors slid open on the lab floor and he hit the hall at a run headed right towards the figure in the back.
"Understood. Sir and Miss Potts are currently in the conference room with a delegation from Brazil about opening a new plant," Jarvis went on but the people he couldn't find were not good. No one knew where Thor was, besides not here. Clint was playing Mario Kart with Darcy in the commons, but Natasha and Steve were missing. Sam was still at his apartment as far as Jarvis could tell. Safira was heading somewhere, but her phone was off, yet the SIM still in it.
"Jolie!" Xander's voice cracked out as he slid to a stop next to her. She flinched back, eyes wide through her goggles looking at him. "Listen. Something is wrong. Safira is in trouble. I need you stay in the tower. If anything happens and you can't EASILY defeat it, go for Bruce understand? You stay with Bruce." The young girl nodded her head, face pale as she set down her beaker.
"Stay with Dr. Banner. Got it. You need help?" Her voice quavered.
"No. Just stay here, stay safe and keep your phone on you always." He gave in to his need and dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head. "You are loved." He turned and stared at Bruce who'd risen slowly, his face gray. "You take care of her Doc. I'm trusting you and Hulk with one of the two most precious things in my life."
Bruce nodded shaky. "Are you sure, Hulk migh-"
"Enough," Xander snapped off the word. "You may fear him. I don't. Look in your heart, Hulk would NEVER harm Jolie. Get over it Bruce, accept who you are. You'll be a hell of a lot happier." He turned and ran for the elevator.
"Jarvis, tell Tony what you know, tell him and Pepper to stay ready. I don't know if this is slayer problem or SHEILD. Have you found Maria?"
"She is not answering her phone, but last contact was headed in the same general direction as Safira."
The elevator pinged on the common floor and Darcy stepped in. "Xander, Maria just called. Said Fury's been shot they are operating now, but he's not expected to live."
Xander nodded. "Father in law. Got it." He bit his lip then shook his head. "No. She didn't say stay away. Jarvis?"
"They are at Bethesda Medical center."
"In DC," Xander groaned. He wanted to scream or shout. The need to get to Safira might kill him.
The elevator doors slid back open and Clint stood there, but no smile on his face. "You need a pilot."
"YES!," Xander all but shouted. "Jarvis, please tell me I can borrow a quin jet or something. I'll owe Tony. I can't afford to pay him back but I'll owe him." Xander wanted to rage in with weapons but he knew his normal choices wouldn't be available or practical. "And are there weapons on the jet?"
"One is setting down now. Tony said take it and to tell Steve," Jarvis's voice changed to become Tony's, "To keep that girl safe even if he can't be a goody two-shoes." They all half choked at that but the elevator opening on the penthouse floor had Xander headed to the jet sitting there waiting. "There are weapons and some of Natasha's daggers in there you may use."
"You know Nat's going to be in the middle of this," Clint remarked as he buckled in. Darcy following along like there was no place else she'd ever be.
"Yes. But so is Steve and my daughter. If Fury survives the surgery I might just kill him," Xander muttered. "If Safira gets killed I'll sic Willow on them all."
Clint looked at him eye's wide. "Really?"
"Clint that's my daughter. I get that she's a slayer, but she fights demons and vampire and isn't a foot soldier to be used as fodder in his war." Xander sighed and sagged. "And knowing her she jumped in with both feet because Steve needed her. I wouldn't be able to drag her away with all the slayers on my side. Doesn't change the fact that if Fury gets her killed he'll regret it."
Darcy squeezed his hand. "She's smart, deadly, and even Natasha respects her fighting abilities."
"And none of that does any good against a snipers bullet," Xander snapped, but squeezed her hand. "I'm not mad at you. But I'm supposed to be beside her, fighting with her." That was what hurt the most, the idea of her in danger and he wasn't there to protect her.
Having your kids grow up sucks. Sex is nothing. Try letting them risk their lives alone.
Darcy just held his hand tight and Clint flew with a dark and desperate look on his face. They landed well outside Bethesda, but Jarvis, wonderful incredible Jarvis, had a car waiting for them. Xander let Clint drive. He didn't know the area and the car would make his missing eye too much of a liability.
They hit the hospital at a run, Darcy lagging the farthest behind, but Xander couldn't slow down to wait on her.
"Get going. Get to her. I'll catch up. Besides I bet I have feathers to smooth," she yelled as Xander and Clint sprinted past doctors and security.
How Clint knew where to go Xander didn't know or ask. For all he knew it was spy telepathy, it wouldn't surprise him in the least, he'd seen weird. They burst through doors and slid to a stop. Maria looking pale but determine was facing off with Steve. Nat and Safira were there watching all of this. Behind them beeping of a surgery and the hustle of doctors.
"Safira," Xander whispered. Her head snapped around and she was in his arms before he took more than two steps. His arms wrapped around her secure and hard, and he wished he never had to let her go. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. Fury was in the apartment. Someone had beat the shit out of him, then they tried to kill the three of us, but I think I was a surprise. They hadn't realized I was there or that I could move as fast as I did. I caught a glimpse of the killer. Male, something funny with his left arm. But that's all I can tell you. He's good. Almost as good as Steve." She said all this in a fast whisper in his ears.
Maria, Nat, and Steve were all arguing so Xander didn't think they'd heard her. He kept his voice just as low. "You going with?"
"Yeah. Fury gave me something to hold for Steve. It's important. Somethings wrong but I can't figure it out. I'll be back. Promise."
Xander took a deep breath and released her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a miniature stake. "Put this in your hair. If everything goes wrong snap it. Willow will be there, but she'll be there as hell incarnate. Make sure it's worth it."
Safira paled a bit and nodded, slipping it into her dense black hair. "You aren't telling me to stay?" Her voice half wistful and all teenager.
"You're an adult. I'll tell you I love you. I'll tell you to be safe. I'll promise you I'll be here if you need me. But I can't tell you what to do."
Her smile was shaky. "Best dad ever."
"Safira, I'm leaving. I'm sorry," Steve said as he turned and started to head out with Nat snapping at his heels and a pissed Clint standing there with his arms crossed and a Maria looking icy and remote.
"And I'm coming with. You need friends at your back. Besides, you owe me for saving your ass back there." Safira spun after them and caught up in a flash. Steve gave her a long look, then nodded. He glanced once at Xander but didn't slow down as they headed out.
Xander fought to wrap his emotions tight and sealed them in with Hyena. Now wasn't the time. He moved over to Maria. "What's going on?"
"Fury's dead. We don't know why. Pierce wants to see Steve and demanded he show up. I don't know whose side Nat is on. What about you. Who's side are you on?"
"Safira's. The slayers. Talk to me Maria. What's going on?"
Maria looked at him with hard eyes. "You're a nice man, Xander Harris. Even a good one. I don't think you can run with this group."
Xander chuckled, though the humor was dark and biting. "You'd be amazed. But your call. You need a friend you know where I am. You need help with that?" He nodded to the operating room.
"No. He had plans for his death. I'll handle everything."
She's lying. But about what? Handling it? Or … Fury.
"Okay. I know you can. Call if you need anything. Anything Maria. The man is an ass. I'm sure even dead he'll cause you no end of problems."
Her eyes darkened as she looked at him. "He was good at that."
"He still is. You know how to get help Maria. Don't do anything you can't live with."
"Is that your rule?" She snapped back arms folded across her chest.
"Always was." He longed to give her a hug, she looked like she needed it but now wasn't the time. Maybe when all this was done he could get her drunk and let her babble.
Darcy came through the doors, breathless. "Okay all the feathers are smoothed. What's going on?"
"I'll be contacting you later with an official statement Miss Lewis. Now if you will excuse me. I have funeral arrangements to plan." Maria nodded to both of them and strode away, head held high.
"One of these days she's going to break and I don't know if she trusts anyone enough to catch her," Xander said softly.
"You?"
Xander tilted his head. "There was a possibility but she is too much like Faith, like Nat, like Tony." He sighed. "That's a discussion for another day. So Miss Lewis. My daughter is out tilting at windmills, I'm sure any reservation I might have made is gone. Would you be open to having dinner with me and Jolie and maybe dessert on the balcony?" He tried to make it sound like this was normal, expected, even routine. His voice broke a bit too much to pull it off.
Darcy slipped her arm into his. "That sounds wonderful. Who knows, you might even get more than dessert."
Xander smiled and squeezed her hand, but his gaze didn't leave the door Safira had followed Steve through.