APRIL

"Amy, your two-thirty meeting is here. I've already sent him down to the conference room." The disembodied voice of the secretary screeched through the phone.

"On my way down Deb, thanks!" Amy hurried to grab the intake papers and new family packets as she readied herself to meet with a potential new client. Leaving the comfort of her office she plastered her brightest smile across her face as she sauntered down to the conference room.

Opening the door, she led with her hand extended to shake the hand of this new potential client. That is until she actually looked at the man before her. Of course she recognized him. He was the most innovative and influential person in the world at the moment. Her smile faltered for half of a second as she lowered herself into the seat opposite him before she pulled herself together. He looked at her appraisingly, like he was judging her entire life in the span of a millisecond. Then his face broke out into a smile.

"Tony Stark." He nodded as we shook hands.

"Hello, Mr. Stark. I'm-"

"Oh, I know who you are, sweetheart." Her face screwed up in confusion at his interruption.

"I'm sorry?" Her brain was whirling a mile a minute trying to come up with any plausible reason that Tony Stark, aka freaking Iron Man, was sitting in the small town therapist's office she currently worked in.

"I know all about you Amelia Mary Stewart. Cute name by the way. Very Earhart." He added with a smirk.

"My mom thought she was clever, but I just go by Amy." She corrected.

"I am aware if you'd let me continue." Amy blushed furiously under his scrutiny. "Goes by Amy, 26, married to a husband of 8 years with three children. Lives in nowhere, WV. Currently works as an intake specialist for a local therapy office. Has magic powers that make bad guys cry." Amy's eyes bulge at the information thrown at her by the billionaire across from her.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about Mr. Stark." She smiled, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. She thought she had been careful.

"Please, call me Tony. Mr. Stark was my father." His grin fading fast. "Cut the crap Ames. You know who I am, I know who you are. You're a smart girl. I think you know why I'm here."

"What exactly do you want from me Tony?" Her gaze hardened at his tone.

"Where'd you get your powers?"

"I… I'm not sure. They just kind of appeared one day."

"Why?"

"Listen, if you know about my… abilities then you know how I found out I have them."

"I know what the official reports are. I need to hear your side of things."

"Why?" She questioned. "Why make me relive that? Can't I just go back to living my life in peace?"

"To be perfectly candid, I need to know if you're a threat or an asset." They eyed each other warily before she sighed, dropping all traces of professionalism as she put her head in her hands.

"Fine. It first started when I was 13. My… father was... he wasn't…" She desperately tried to find the words to explain how this started 13 years prior. "My dad was physically and emotionally abusive to me and my siblings, particularly to my younger sister. So I grew up taking care of them when we were with him. One day he went off on us. He tried to kill my sister and I knew I had to do whatever it took to save her. He had her up against the wall by her neck, just choking the life out of her. And I fucking snapped. My skin felt like it was electrified and I felt a strength I'd never known before well up inside me. I grabbed him and threw him with more strength than a child should've had. I grabbed my sister and hid in the closet, hoping and praying that he wouldn't find us. He didn't. And I chalked up my behavior to adrenaline. Until a few months ago." She ran her hands beneath her eyes, hoping to catch the fallen tears before her makeup got completely ruined. Tony silently passed her a handkerchief, nodding that she should continue. "I was home alone with my kids, their dad was on a trip out of town. Someone broke in and I couldn't even think. My skin buzzed and I just reacted. He tried to grab me, but I blasted him across the room. I felt myself slowly rise up off the floor and just annihilated this poor dude with blasts of… energy? Electricity? I don't know. But he tried to shoot the gun he had and I made it… I made him shoot himself in the leg. Everything gets kind of fuzzy after that but then the police came and he was unconscious. Turns out he had ties to a major crime organization that they were able to take down. The last time was the only time it ever happened in public. About a month ago, I was out running errands, clothes shopping. As I got to the thrift store some masked man with a gun was threatening everyone in the parking lot. For some reason he chose me to be his human shield. I… lost control and completely fried the guy's brain. The news reported that I fought for my life before I managed to get away. They called me a hero..." she trailed off uncomfortably.

"Huh. Ok, so asset it is. Perfect! I'll just need to make a few calls and we'll have you in New York in no time."

"What do you mean?"

"Wasn't I clear enough? We want you to train with the Avengers for a while. Congrats kid."

"Uh, no? I'm not going anywhere. I'm not an Avenger." He looked up at her confused, "I have a life here Tony. I have kids and a husband and a job. My whole family is here. Besides you don't want someone… like me on your team."

"I don't understand why you can't take your kids and your husband and move them with you? What do you mean someone like you?"

"He… he would never go for that." She admitted, nervously picking at her nails. "I'm not a good person, Tony. I am selfish and irrational, annoying and so far outside the Avengers body type it really isn't even funny."

"Officially I am offering you a position as my personal assistant for Stark Industries. Not too far off from what you're currently doing but with one hell of a pay raise." Tony took a deep breath, allowing sincerity to surface. "The rest of that doesn't matter. I'm sure you've noticed I'm not the most… palatable of people. You could do the world a lot of good Ames."

"I am very flattered, but I can't." Amy abruptly stood, her chair squealing against the linoleum. "It was very nice to meet you Mr. Stark, but I am afraid I really need to get back to work." She offered her hand once again as Tony stood up.

"Keep an open mind, Ames." He winked before strolling out of the room.