Title: Gold Rush

Pairing: CaptainAmerica-WinterSoldier-FemaleOC (poly)

First language isn't English, so please point out spelling or grammer mistakes. Be specific when pointing them out so I can correct them.

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Chapter 8 part 3

I was woken the next morning by the buzzer of my apartment. I was still fast asleep so I was very groggy when I woke up and it took me a few minutes to realize what the noise was that had woken me up. I decided to ignore whoever was at my door at this ungodly hour of…wait what time is it? I checked my phone and saw it was past ten o'clock. Well I got in late last night, so I think this still counts as an ungodly hour. I snuggled back into my blanket and figured whoever was at my door would quite eventually. Five minutes past and the person didn't light up. What the hell? Get the hint that I'm not home or don't want to come to the door I thought to myself as I angrily got out of bed and graphed the crutches to push myself up. Oh man this is going to be such a drag. How am I supposed to get around doing most of my work, that involves going around the city, on crutches? And the Gala is in three weeks! My foot better be healed by then because I have to wear heels to that thing and that day is always a very long and stressful day. I don't need an injured foot added to that.

"Alright! Alright! I'm coming," I yelled to no one in particularly as I made my way to the buzzer, that just kept buzzing, meaning the person downstairs kept pushing the buzzer. This better be worth it, because by God I'm going to be so mad to whoever is down there. I practically yelled into the my intercom when I finally reached it: "What!"

"Buzz me in."

I stare perplexed at my intercom as it downed on me the voice belonged to my boss, mister Stark. My brain froze at that realization. What is he doing here? He shouldn't come to my home. Ever! And he shouldn't be here alone! This is just asking for trouble! Oh God, what will miss Pots say when she finds out about this? I don't want to give her any reason of doubt when it comes to my loyalty and me being around her boyfriend.

"Taylor? You still alive?"

"I'm going to pass on that," I answered and my buzzer started going of immediately telling me my boss wasn't going to take no for an answer. He's got to be kidding me right? What does he even want? I wanted to be strong and just ignore him, but I couldn't even ignore him for two whole minutes because the buzzer was driving me crazy. You know what this place should have? A switch that allows me to turn off my buzzer, so I can be left alone in peace.

"Alright! Alright! Just stop with the buzzer!" I yelled giving in and I could practically hear him laugh over the intercom. I was positive mister Stark could keep up this childlike behavior for quite some time, so I just gave in and buzzed him in. I grabbed my keys from my purse and opened my door for him. Then I hobbled to my kitchen to make myself a strong coffee because I was going to need it and it was too early to start drinking alcohol, what under the circumstances would not have been entirely inappropriate. I heard the man complaining about the elevator being out of order as he walked through my front door: "How can she live like this? This building is practically a cave."

"What do you want?" I asked with a harsh tone and placed a mug in my coffee machine. As the machine started running, I turned around and leaned against my counter and kept my injured foot from touching the floor. Since we were in my house and he was uninvited, I didn't feel the need to be respectful even if he is my boss. I was still angry at him for his treatment of me yesterday.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd swing by," my boss joked and came walked around the corner and eyed me. I should have pulled on a sweater or maybe some other pants, because my sleeping attire wasn't all that, well decent, but again my home and he was uninvited, so he would just have to deal with my lose shirt and shorts: "You shouldn't be here."

"Relax, I thought about that so I brought a chaperone," mister Stark said and looked behind him. Two small legs came walking in carrying a big bouquet of lily's. I knew it was Morgan judging by her unicorn sneakers, but the bouquet was so big it hide her face. Oh wow, he's got to be joking right? Is he seriously here to apologize and he brought flowers. I always hate it when men do that. It always sent me the signal that giving a gift meant I would forgive you automatically.

"I might have freaked out a little last night and been not very nice to you, so here you go," mister Stark said, clearly uncomfortable with trying to apologize and hoping I would just accept his offer. He's never apologized to me before, never did anything that granted it, so I should have accepted it, but three hours in the ER and that creepy doctor made me shake my head: "No, if you want to apologize to me, you can do better."

"Is someone going to take these flowers from me? They're kind of heavy," Morgan complained and mister Stark eyed me, but I raised an eyebrow at him and lifted the crutches slightly as a sign that I wasn't going to do it. Mister Stark sighed and took the bouquet from his daughter and placed it in my sink, that I filled with water: "And next time buy me a vase, because I don't own any."

"Noted," mister Stark said and looked at Morgan, who was eyeing my apartment. I had lots of geeky things hanging around that would peak her interest, so I told her there was some apple juice in my fridge if she wanted some and let her look around my place. She nodded her head and started walking around my living room, her eyes taking in all the artwork and little sculptures standing around.

"Why is there a Lego Harry Potter standing between your mugs?" mister Stark asked me and I turned around to look at my rack stacked with mugs. In one mug there was a lego Harry Potter figure hanging on the edge. I hadn't even noticed he was there and the last time Brooklyn was in here was a week ago. Damn, I should really pay better attention to my surroundings: "One of my friends likes replacing him and the others around my apartment whenever he comes over. It's a joke between us."

"Interesting joke," mister Stark said and Morgan squealed in delight as she found a Lego Hermione in one of my ferns. I didn't have many plants in my apartment and most of the ones I did have were ferns. Why? Because they are a reminder of my time in New Zealand and they are easy to keep alive: "There are nine more little guy's hiding around Morgan. If you can find them all, you can give them a new hiding spot."

I turned back to my boss, who looked very uncomfortable standing in my small kitchen unit, while his daughter snooped threw my things in search for Lego figurines. I could tell he was hoping I would let him of easy, but I wasn't going to do that. My coffee machine signaled it was done and I grabbed my mug. As I turned back to face my boss, I saw him eye my foot. I didn't say anything and waited for him to ask about the injury. I knew it annoyed him and that gave me some satisfaction. He caved after a minute of uncomfortable silence: "How's your foot?"

"In pain," I answered and turned my eyes to see how Morgan was doing. Her eyes were practically falling out of her head as she snooped threw my things. I liked collecting little knickknacks, especially if they were nerdy themed. I had a small BB8 droid standing between my ferns, Harry Potter notebooks I bought in a shop in London years ago were standing on my bookshelf, a Hogwarts Express ticket was hanging on my bullet board, the cup of Hufflepuf was standing between my mugs, an owl statue had some the one ring hanging around it, I had a letter opener that was shaped like the sword of King Théoden etc. And then there were the Harry Potter Lego's I brought with me when I moved here. I didn't keep much from my home with Kai, but I did keep these little guy's because he was the one who would hide them from me on an almost daily basis. It frustrated the hell out of me at first because I couldn't stop myself from not looking for them. When he left, Brooklyn started doing the same thing whenever he came over. I'm sure he does it as a way to remember his friend and to make me smile. It always did, even though I would complain about it every time.

"What are you doing here mister Stark?" I asked as Morgan excitedly said she found Ron hiding on my bookshelf.

"It's Tony, you've worked six years for us now, I think we can be on a first name basis whenever we are in private," mister Stark avoided answering my question and I was surprised he told me to use his first name: "Could have fooled me last night."

"I know, I know. I got…I panicked and I shouldn't have shipped you of like that," mister Stark sighed and I'm sure he muttered under his breath that the Captain had already chewed him out over it. I didn't know how to feel about that. As annoyed and angry I was at my boss for his treatment, I didn't need someone else to get mad over it. I could deal with him myself. Mister Stark continued as I sipped from my coffee, trying to ignore my foot starting to throb: "I called the hospital to forward the bill to me, so don't worry about that."

I was annoyed and surprised he had done that already. I knew I was going to make him pay the bill, stating it was a work party where I got hurt. He would put up a fight at first, but I knew he would eventually pay for it anyway. This was to easy and I didn't like it. My voice didn't have the harsh tone I wanted it to have as I spoke: "You damn straight you are paying for it."

"Did you have to wait long at the…" mister Stark asked and I cut him off, this time with a malice tone saying I had to wait for three hours before I was seen by a doctor: "And I only had a bottle of whiskey to keep me company."

"That must have looked…"

"Like I was an alcoholic, yeah I'm sure that's what the nurses were saying behind my back," I cut him off again and I knew it was annoying him. He tends to do it to everyone he talks to, but he can't stand it when someone does it to him. He sent me a look, that I just tilted my head at as saying I dare you to comment on it. He didn't and looked around as if lost at what to do about this situation and then asked if I wasn't going to give him a drink or something.

"Nope," I said and sipped from my coffee to make a point. I was getting a headache from all of this and I needed to visit a pharmacist to get some pain medication because my foot was starting to hurt more. I probably should be sitting down and keeping my foot up, but I felt more comfortable standing up as long as my boss was standing in my place. As we stood there in awkward silence, we could hear Morgan yell she found Snape hiding by my TV.

"Look, how can I make it up to you?" he sighed and started offering me material apologizes: a nice piece of jewelry, extra vacation days, pay raise etc. As he continued summing up things he would give me I remembered miss Pots telling me about the giant bunny he bought her once as an apology. He really isn't good at apologizing to people, isn't he?

"As much as I would love all those things, a sincere apology would be enough," I stopped him from summing up more things I wasn't sure I would say no to. Pay raise and extra vacation day's sound so tempting, but I didn't want him to think he could buy me of. Not after being loyal for six years to him and his family.

"What?"

"Mean it is what I'm asking for," I said and Morgan ran back to us and opened the fridge to grab the apple juice. I handed her a glass and she helped herself and then went back in search for other Lego figurines.

"I do mean it. You think I would be here if I didn't? And I even brought Morgan along so there can't be any weirdness about me being in your place. I mean it okay, I'm sorry about last night," he apologizes and I believe him. After six years of working for the man, I knew that he didn't do anything if he didn't want to. And coming all the way over here on a Saturday was proof he meant it. And the bouquet was probably expensive too, not some cheap one from a corner shop.

"I'll try and do better next time," he finished his apology and I eyed him curious as to what he meant by that. Next time? He noticed my confused look and added that he was a work-in-progress so what did I expect. That made me laugh: "Fine, but next time I won't let this go so easily."

"I don't expect that you would," he smirked at me and Morgan found Dumbledore hiding at my front door in my key bowl. I don't have many keys, but I bought it in a thrift shop because it reminded me of Sheldon from the big Bang Theory saying that Penny should have a bowl to put her keys in.

"Now how about that coffee you didn't ask me for?" mister Stark said and I noticed his body relaxed significantly as he looked around. I finished my cup of coffee and told him to make himself a cup because I was injured. He told me that was a low blow, but I just smirked at him and told him he deserved it. I made my way to my couch and sat down to observe my boss trying to figure out how my coffee machine worked. Morgan joined me and helped me place a pillow beneath my injured foot as I laid it on my coffee table and she took the crutches from me too.

"If he can't do this kid, that's a little sad," I whispered to Morgan and she giggled and whispered to me that maybe he wasn't a genius after all. That made me laugh. We bot watched mister Stark look utterly confused at my coffee machine. It was a very standard machine, but I doubt he had any idea how to use it. It took him five minutes to find my coffee filters and I was surprised he actually even thought of that. It's funny how a genius like him can be rather clueless about mundane things. Then again he has espresso machines everywhere, so he never has to do anything more than push a button and place a cup in the right spot.

"You two are enjoying this far too much," mister Stark called over his shoulder to us as he poured water in the machine. Morgan and I looked at each other and both responded at the same time: "No, we're not."

When had managed to make himself a cup of coffee, he sat down next to me in my couch and Morgan went back in search for Lego figurines. She had already found five. I told her to check out the bathroom because sometimes they like to hide among my shampoo bottles: "And Voldemort likes to hang out in my jewelry box for some reason."

"I'm not even going to ask why he likes to hang out there," mister Stark shook his head and it made me smile. I was so pleased that I had cleaned my apartment yesterday before Tessa came over, so I knew my bathroom and bedroom looked decent. No dirty clothes laying in a corner or bins that were piling out.

"So what were you really doing at that party last night?" mister Stark asked me in a softer voice and I pulled my eyes away from Morgan as she ran into my bathroom and looked alarmed at the man. Damn it, he asked miss Pots about it, didn't he? The man chuckled as he saw my alarmed face and I knew I was busted: "Pepper told me she felt guilty for inviting the twins and not you, so she was utterly confused when you showed up anyway last night. She couldn't imagine that those two told you to come with them."

I scratched my throat trying to come up with an excuse, but the only thing I could think about was saying Wanda invited me, but the man was quick to kill that lie saying he only invited her last minute: "So who did invite you to my party, I wonder? You don't know anyone there personally but one person, but I can't imagine him having the balls to ask a woman out."

"Why does everyone assume he's to chicken to ask a woman out?" I asked, trying to advert the man's attention from asking me questions about how I found myself at his party. He eyed me curiously and I thought he would ask me who else has been saying that, but he didn't: "So it was the good old Captain then?"

"Maybe," I said and avoided his prying eyes, what made the man chuckle. Great, another person to ask unwanted questions. And this is Tony Stark we are talking about, so he'll want to know everything and…

"Relax kid, I'm not here to tell you what you can or can't do with your life," mister Stark told me and put down his coffee mug and turned to me: "I'm sure he has a lot of fine qualities and I know you are a smart woman, perfectly capable of taking care of herself."

I was a little bit flattered by his words and pleased he saw me like that. The last thing I want is my bosses think I'm incapable or need help or protection or anything. I am a strong woman and I do take care of myself and I'm proud of that.

"So consider this the only warning I'll give you, as your friend…" mister Stark continued and I was pulled from my thoughts by his daunting words. I snorted saying this should be good, trying to lighten to the mood, but he wasn't having it: "You should know that he carries serious targets on his back and there are a lot of people out there that want him out of the picture. I know you can take care of yourself, but he doesn't. You see what Pepper has to put up with on a daily basics and Rogers is just as bad as me, if not worse maybe. So think about what you are getting yourself into, really think about."

I needed a minute to take his words in and he went to check up on Morgan, who had be rather quite for a few minutes, never a good sign. I can't believe he just said that. He didn't tell me what to do, but he did give me the facts as they are. I hadn't really thought about it yet, because I had no idea what this was. If mister Stark is warning me, then even he must think this could lead to something. The thought made me blush and I was glad my boss was in my bathroom, what was kind of weird if you think about it. But he was just trying to warn me. Would it really be that bad? Would the Captain be just like mister Stark? Just as paranoid? I go out and do whatever I want, whenever I want, without having to tell anyone. Could I put up with someone who would need to know these things? I didn't get to think about that question because Morgan came running to me, showing me she found Voldemort and Draco: "Why does Voldemort like to hang out in your jewelry box? It's weird?"

"I don't know kid, maybe he has some closeted fetishes we don't know about," I joked and shook my head to focus on what she was saying and keep my thoughts at bay: "I think Fluffy might be hiding in my closet. He likes to put his teeth in my shoes."

"You have Fluffy? I want him too!" Morgan yelled excitedly and stormed into my bedroom in search for the figurine and mister Stark sat back down next to me. He looked at me with a serious look and it made me chuckle: "I can't believe you just went full dad on me."

"Call it practice for when that one will be old enough to start dating boy's," mister Stark pointed towards my bedroom and I laughed at the idea of him trying to keep his daughter from dating: "You are going to be the overly protective father, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm already considering sending her to a convent until she's twenty to make sure she doesn't get into trouble," mister Stark joked and I pointed out that in convent nuns could get freaky too: "We don't know what happens within those walls. But can I ask you a personal question?"

"This should be good," mister Stark joked, mimicking my words earlier but he looked serious at me, so I asked: "I'm not trying to be noisy and you don't need to give me any details about it all or anything, but why don't you get along with Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes? I understand there's something between you and the Sergeant, but from what I heard you and the Captain were getting along rather well before the Sergeant showed up. So I'm wondering what happened that made you two have a fall out."

Mister Stark went pale as I spoke and visible uncomfortable. Great, so I brought up a very touchy subject. Well I knew it was that already, but I never expected him, the confident and strong Tony Stark, to react like that when I asked him about his friendship with the Captain. I waited for a minute, allowing him time, but as he didn't respond I thought it better to offer him a change to chance the subject.

"He chose him over me," mister Stark spoke, his voice so uncharastically soft it made me feel a little uncomfortable. I'm getting the feeling we are blurring the lines of boss and employee and I'm not sure I'm okay with that, but my curiosity got the better of me. I thought about what he said for a minute and then asked: "And whatever happened with the Sergeant is…"

"Unforgivable and yet he chose him over me," mister Stark interrupted me and leaned his elbows on his knees. I believe him and knew it had to be something big that happened. I knew about the fight that happened in Germany, but not the details: "Unforgivable because Bucky Barnes did it or the…"

"It doesn't even matter," mister Stark interrupted me again, but I didn't mind. I understood it was a painful subject that I brought up and I really wasn't trying to snoop or change his opinion about the man. I don't know what he did, but if mister Stark believes it to be unforgivable, then it must be so: "Okay."

"Okay?" my boss looked up at me, surprise written all over his face. It confused me greatly. Why would he be surprised that I didn't judge him. it's not my place to judge the situation or what happened. I wasn't there nor a part of it. I don't tell people about my past because they will judge it and me and I refuse to let other people's opinions change me. It probably wasn't smart to get involved with Kai and Yuri either, for Kai's family was…well…let's call it dodgy. But Kai wasn't like that and he wanted out of that life. I believed him and we had a great time together: "Okay."

I could tell mister Stark wanted to continue, but Morgan started yelling from my bedroom and we both looked up: "Daddy! Alex! I found water balloons! Can I play with these?"

Where did she find those? Why do I even have that? It's been years since I've last thrown water balloons of the roof with my friends and… Oh that gave me an idea. I turned to my boss, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, with a very childlike glee in his eyes: "Sure Morgan, let's go throw them of the roof!"

"I'll get a bucket of water," I said and mister Stark said he would help Morgan fill up the water balloons. He helped me get up and handed me my crutches. I made my way to my kitchen, while Morgan excitedly told her dad to follow her to my bathroom. She was kind of bossy when she got excited like that, very reminiscent of both her parents. I heard a lot of laughter come from my bathroom, so I decided to wait for them to come out to allow them a nice moment together. After a few minutes Morgan called me to bring the bucket and I say the duo had drawn on my mirror with my lipstick. Morgan had drawn a unicorn and mister Stark had drawn a very simple version of Iron Man standing on top of a stick figure that I assume resembled Captain Rogers. I yelled at them for using my lipstick as a marker, but I knew I was not going to get rid of the drawing any time soon. I changed into something more appropriate and Morgan helped me with going up the stairs to the roof. We giggled like children as we threw water balloons of the building and hide behind the railing when people looked up and screamed at us, calling us punks. While father and daughter had their backs turned to me I pulled out my phone and filmed them for miss Pots. I knew she appreciated homemade videos of her family. And she was going to find out from Morgan that they were here, so might as well just put it all out in the open to make sure she didn't get any wrong idea.