p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"strongSeptember 26, 2022/strong/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"When the doorbell rang, Bruce heard his wife give an exasperated "Ohhh!" from upstairs which was quickly followed by, "That's probably them now. Bruce, would you mind getting that? I'm not quite finished with getting a certain little boy ready yet!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sure, honey," he called back, feeding his daughter one more spoonful of cereal before getting up. He gave her a quick kiss on her head full of dark, beautiful hair and said, "Daddy will be right back, sweetheart."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The baby girl smiles up at him, inserting her little fist into her mouth as she watches him walk to the front door./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Bruce blows her a kiss, and then unlocks the door, opening it wide to the people on the other side, "Tony! Pepper!" Although he's sure that Tony was the one to ring the doorbell it's Pepper who is standing closest to the door, and so she's the one who gets the first welcoming gesture, which is a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""You too, Bruce! We've missed you and Betty around the tower!" Pepper replied, returning the hug then stepping out of the way so the men can greet each other./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Bruce shrugs as he bumps fists with Tony before they clasp hands in a handshake, "Yeah well, we've missed you too, both of you and everyone. But when we decided on doing this… on adopting the twins, we justem had/em to get out of the city."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sure, we understand," Pepper said, as she tried to peek around him before asking, "Is that her? Is that one of the twins?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Uh huh," Bruce said, walking back over to the high chair where the baby girl was reaching out for her Daddy./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Although her little hands were a little messy from the mashed fruit she had been eating along with the cereal he had been feeding her, Bruce didn't hesitate to pick her up into his arms, picking up a napkin as he did to clean her hands and mouth. He turned around, and said, "Prisha, say hello to your Auntie Pepper and Uncle Tony."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The baby stared at them wide-eyed./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper stepped closer, and said gently, "Hello, sweetheart." She looked up at Bruce, "Do you think she'd let me hold her?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Well we can try, but don't be surprised if she's a little shy."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Nodding Pepper extended her hands to take the little girl, but the baby turned her head around, and buried her face in Bruce's neck with a whimper. He rubbed her back, and spoke to her in a language that neither Tony or Pepper couldn't understand. The baby turned her head back around to shyly peeked at them for only a few seconds before burying her face against her Daddy's neck again./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sorry," Bruce said to them as he continued to rub the little girl's back./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, there's no need to apologize, Bruce. After all, she doesn't know us right now," Pepper said./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No, but I hope we have the opportunity to change that so they both can get to know you," Betty said entering with a baby boy in her arms./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""And who is this handsome little man here?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""This," the other woman said with a wide, proud smile, "is Devansh Bruce Banner. Devansh sweetheart, this is your Aunt Pepper… or do you prefer Aunt Ginny?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, Pepper is fine," she reassured Betty./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Or at least it would be fine until they started talking, and if they had a hard time saying Pepper, they could always switch back to Ginny then./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Betty nodded, and began again, "Okay, this is your Aunt Pepper, and Uncle Tony."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The little boy had been staring wide eyed at them just like his sister, and unlike his sister, he surprised them by reaching his arms out towards Tony. Surprised, the adults stood there long enough for the baby to whine and reach for Tony again when he wasn't taken by the person he seemed to want./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Tony looked at his wife with a smirk then stepped closer to Betty, and with her okay, gently pulled the Devansh into his arms./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I wouldn't be too puffed up if I were you, Tony," Bruce said, "He probably just wants your-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Before he could finish the warning, the baby reached up, and pulled Tony's sunglasses off of his face./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Glasses."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"It was now Pepper's turn to smirk as the little boy promptly put the glasses up to his mouth, and began chewing on them. Betty was quick to pry the sunglasses away from the baby, and hand them over to Bruce while she took back a now unhappy and crying Devansh from his uncle's arms./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sorry about that, Tony," she apologized as she rubbed her son's back, trying to calm him down from his disappointed upset./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, sorry about that," Bruce echoed while he walked over to a playpen in the corner, "I guess we should have thought to warn you about the fact he's got a fascination for glasses of emany/em kind right now." As he spoke, he gently set his daughter down in the playpen./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, Bruce can't even hold him right now wearing his glasses," Betty added./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Meanwhile Prisha quickly made it clear that she didn't like being put down, and her little face crumbled as she held her little arms out to her Daddy, wanting to be picked up again./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, baby, don't cry. Daddy will be right back. I just need to go wash off the yucky spit your brother got all over Uncle Tony's nice sunglasses."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I can do it, Bruce," Pepper said, appearing at his side, "If you'll just point me in the direction of the kitchen or the bathroom."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He turned around and pointed to a door in the corner, "Right through there, and thank you." He returned to pick up the little baby girl just in time before she really got upset, although a few crocodile tears still did roll down her face. "Awww, sweetie, Daddy's here. Don't cry." He rubbed her back while the baby laid her head down on his shoulder./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper was about to go into the kitchen to wash off the sunglasses when Tony stopped her./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I'll do it," he said, taking them from her./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Okay."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Be right back."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"She nodded, and turned back to their friends as he disappeared into the kitchen. Sitting back down, she watched them both for a moment, noting how both of the twins were calm now./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""So, how is the neighborhood?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, it's been really great so far," Betty answered, "Our neighbors seem to be great."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Bruce nodded, confirming, "Yeah even if some of them are a little bit um... emodd/em."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Bruce!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Well some of them are, honey! Like take Mrs. Oldathenian, for example."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""She is not odd! Just because she has more than one cat does not make her odd!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Come on, Betty, she's the classic cat lady of the neighborhood!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""She is not!" she replied back then looked at Pepper, "She has all of ten cats!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Ten cats? Wow, that is a lot of cats but I thought in order for a lady to qualify as a emclassic cat lady/em they had to have at least twenty or more cats."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Maybe twenty or more is the usual number to qualify but I still say it only has to be ten in this case because her house is one of the smaller ones on this block and ten cats in a small house has to make it feel like twenty or more!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Before Betty could respond to that statement, Tony emerged from the kitchen, "So what did I miss?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, Bruce and Betty were just telling me about one of their neighbors."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Ah, I see. Got any really eminteresting/em ones around here?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, we have a few."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Are you going to share all the juicy details with us?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""What?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper rolled her eyes and looked at the other couple, "You don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Awww, Pep!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, Pepper, Tony, I really wish you guys hadn't done this!" Betty fussed as she opened the largest of the three wrapped gift boxes./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"It'd taken awhile to get her to call them by their given names but at last they had emfinally/em reached the point where she felt comfortable with being so informal with them./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Well, I emwasn't/em planning to originally but then Tony showed me what's in that box… and well I may have given in just a bit!" Pepper said sheepishly./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Hey! Are you blaming me for emyou/em getting carried away buying all the gifts you totally intended to buy all along?" Tony retorted./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Completely, and totally!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He huffed but was unable to continue with the play bickering as Betty finally pushed back the tissue paper in the box, and pulled out the first item inside./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh my… these are just way too adorable!" She held up a pink onesie for Bruce to read that saidem OLDER WISER/em, followed by a white one that said emYOUNGER CUTER/em./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"There were nine other sets of onesies in the box. Betty oohed and aahed over each one as she pulled them out. She especially loved the emThing 1/Thing 2/em, emAhhh/Choo/em, and emPartners/In Crime/em onesies the most although they all had very adorable plays on the twins theme./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Aren't these all just so cute, Bruce?" Betty gushed as she started gathering all of them up to take to the nursery./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He nodded, and smiled in the shy way they had all come to expect and love about him. He looked down at the emJEDI IN TRAINING/em onesie he held in his hands, and said, "You know, guys, you really shouldn't have."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Why not? You're some of our best… and emclosest/em friends and your little rugrats are only going to be little once," Tony countered./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""But still, guys!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper smiled at him, "Bruce, Tony is right. You're both two of our closest friends, and your beautiful babies will only be babies once. I know we overdid it just a little but as their Aunt and Uncle I think we're entitled to gushing over them a little."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Speaking of gushing, aren't you going to open the other two boxes?" Tony added, waggling his eyebrows./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Fatherhood really seems to agree with Bruce. I don't think I've ever seen him look so happy," Pepper mused later that night after their own kids were in bed and they were watching a rather spectacular thunderstorm unfold outside./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen the Big Guy look this happy… or this at peace except for maybe the day he got off that plane and saw Betty standing there. And it's really good to see him find his happiness too after all this time because…"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""You care about him? Not emjust/em as a best friend but like like a brother? You know it's okay to say that aloud, right?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, I know but that wasn't what I was going to say."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"A very loud clap of thunder interrupted their conversation, and when it finally finished echoing, Pepper asked, "JARVIS, did that wake Ethan or Eva up?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No, Ma'am, it did not. I initiated Sir's thunderstorm protocols in Master Ethan and Miss Eva's rooms the moment the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Did they now?" Tony remarked./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Satisfied that the storm wouldn't awaken their children, Pepper snuggled back up against Tony, and asked, "Now what were you saying before that?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Tony hesitated, the storm's interruption to what he had been saying had given him a moment to reconsider what he had been about to tell her. What he had been about to say about Bruce was very personal, and he wasn't sure it is something his friend would want repeated. But then he remembered the situation in which Bruce had made the admission, and given how public the situation had been, he decided that it would be okay to say it after all./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony?" Pepper said, sitting up to look at him, "Is something wrong?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He shook his head, "No, no… I was just remembering saying Bruce told me… and everyone else shortly after we all met each other for the first time. You know the whole thing with Loki?" He continued after he felt her nod, "Well there is one thing I haven't told you about our little infighting session on the helicarrier… it was something that Bruce said that got to me more than I've ever wanted anyone, him included, to know."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""What did he say?" Pepper asked after a moment when he didn't continue./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""He said that he got to a low point… a point so low that he tried to kill himself."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper sat up again, alarmed shock on her face, "What?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, Bruce tried to kill himself… or at least I think that was what was admitting to when he said he put a bullet in his mouth and the Other Guy spit it out. I guess when he did that when he was trying to find a emcure /emfor being the Hulk and it failed."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, Tony."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I know. When he said that, it... it got to me so much that it emscared/em me. I'd been wanting to meet him for a long time, even before that day because I had a feeling we'd get along spectacularly. I mean, relatively speaking, Bruce is one of the most brilliant minds out there, a perfect match with my own, so why wouldn't we?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper smiled to herself, thinking of a reason emwhy/em they might not have gotten along, and that was personalities clashing. Bruce easily could have been as cocky as he was brilliant. He could have felt threatened by Tony's own genius, and they could have clashed as badly as Tony had with Steve in the past. She was so glad that had not been the case where Bruce was concerned because it had been wonderful to see Tony gain a new, true friend during a time when he had so few upon./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""... and what do you know? I was only one thousand percent emright/em about us getting along! The more we talked the more I knew I'd been right, and then he said what he said I just..."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"When she felt him shudder, she snuggled closer to him, "I can only imagine how hearing such a... an admission made you feel. I know emhow/em I would have felt if I had heard him say something like that. We can only be thankful that the Hulk's will to live was far stronger than Bruce's desire to die at that moment."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah," Tony murmured, pressing a kiss on the side of her head, "Because I hate to think I might not ever have had the chance to have met Bruce." emOr be his friend./em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, me too."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Dear, emdear/em Bruce./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Yes, she was so thankful that his attempt had not been successful because she would have missed the chance to get to know the kind-hearted scientist too. Plus after getting to know Betty, she hated to think about the grief his death by his own hand would have put the other woman through./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"A streak of lightning lit up the room again, and was followed by a very loud clap of thunder./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Wow that emreally/em loud!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Tony nodded in agreement, his eyebrows shooting upwards, "Yes, it was. JARVIS, are the protocols holding-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Daddy?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Well that answersem that /emquestion," he muttered before getting up, "What'sa matter, Princess? Did the loud thunder wake you up?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The little girl nodded as she was picked up, "It scared me, Daddy! It was weally loud I taught someting sploded!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Watching them interact, Pepper murmured, "Is Ethan still asleep, JARVIS?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No, Ma'am. Master Ethan is currently huddling underneath his comforter."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emEx/emploded, princess. Exploded."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Exploded," Eva repeated the word slowly./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""That's right, sweetpea. Exploded."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""JARVIS, how much longer is the storm going to go on?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""It is my estimation the storm will intermittently continue for the next ninety minutes."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, honey?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""JARVIS said the storm is going to continue on and off for the next ninety minutes, so I was thinking maybe the kids would like to come sleep in our room."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Kids?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, Ethan is awake too."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Hmm, Ethan too?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper nodded./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Okay then, I guess I need to make some adjustments to the Light N Sound Show protocols for future storms. In the meantime, if they want to come to our room to sleep, that's fine with me. Why don't you two ladies go get settled into bed while I go get the E-man, and invite him to our slumber party?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sounds good. Come on, sweetheart. Let's go get all comfy in bed."/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"strongAugust 2024/strong/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"It was shortly after lunch, Rhodey returned to his desk with the intention of knocking down a few of the reporters stacked there. But things didn't quite go as planned because the second he opened up one of the folders, he felt his phone vibrate with an incoming text./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Since it was the phone that only a small select group of people had (his family in other words), he knew he should at least see who the message was from. He pulled it out of his pocket just as the phone vibrated again./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"[Hey, Platypus? You busy?]] - emReceived 12:55pm/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"[[I'm going to be taking a little day trip and I think you should come with.]]em Received 12:56pm/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Smiling, Rhodey hit the dial button and didn't give his friend a chance to send another text./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The phone only rang once, and Tony answered, "So should I take this call as a yes?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Depends."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""On?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Where this little day trip is to?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Did I mention it's a surprise?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Then I'm going to have to say no, Tones."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Aww, really?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Why?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Looking at his desk, and replied, "Because I'm running your old company for a board and shareholders that no longer includes you or Pepper in their number?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Awww, Platypus! You're killing it here!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sorry but seriously I can't just go off right now unless it's something worth taking the time for. Maybe if you told me where you're going and what we'll be doing there..."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Blue Bell."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Come again?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I said emBlue Bell/em, as in PA or Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philly, otherwise known as-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I know what it's otherwise known as!" Rhodey interrupted, rolling his eyes, "I'm from there, remember?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, I remember."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"When Tony didn't continue beyond the confirmation, he asked, "So emwhy /emare you going to my hometown?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""To find out you'll have to come with."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I'm serious, buddy. You'll have to come with me if you want to know."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""What's there?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Something I can't tell you."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Seriously?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, because it's a emsurprise/em."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""And you're not going to tell me are you?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Or give me any clues?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Nope."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Releasing a slow sigh, Rhodey shook his head, "I really shouldn't but when are you going on your little day trip?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tomorrow."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Of course you are," Rhodey said, shaking his head as he went through his schedule mentally, "Wait, tomorrow's good for me because-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""You have a meeting free day."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony, did you hack my schedule again?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""How many times do I have to tell you that no one says emhack/em anymore?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He heard his friend eye roll, and rolled his own eye, "Don't change the subject!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Also it'sstrong not/strong hacking when the computers in your office are still connected to JARVIS. And emwho/em cares how I know? I just do. So tomorrow's a go?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, yeah, it's a go... assuming Moni doesn't need me for anything."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""She won't."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""You don't know... wait, did you already talk to my wife about this?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Uh huh."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony, I swear sometimes..."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh you know you love me."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I do not. You're annoying!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""But that's why you love me."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Shaking his head and rolling his eyes again, Rhodey told him, "Okay if I am going with you to tomorrow on this little day trip of yours, I need to get some actual work done, so I'm gonna hang up now." He hit the end button on the phone before Tony could respond. Putting his phone down, he settled into doing a little so he could go with his friend tomorrow without feeling guilty about it./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony, I really need to get something done," he muttered when his phone vibrated a few seconds later./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"[[Check with J for tomorrow's deets.]] - strongReceived 1:01pm/strong/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The next morning after a short flight to Philadelphia International Airport, Rhodey found himself seated beside his best friend, in an actual rental car, driving towards a destination he wasn't sure of. However with the absence of Happy or another member of the billionaire's security team, and given how he knew how a lot people felt about Tony these days, his curiosity was half turned on at best. Tony's cryptic,em "You'll see!" /emwhen he had asked where they were going hadn't helped to settle down the knot in his stomach either./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emSo you already know about Tony's little plans for tomorrow?" Rhodey asked, almost the second he walked in the door at home the previous evening. But it was only just almost since he kissed his wife before he began interrogating her./em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emHello to you too, honey," Monica replied in an amused tone before turning around to head back to the kitchen. "Dinner will be in fifteen minutes, Cole, so please clear the table."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emYes, ma'am," The teenaged boy said with a nod, and then started picking up his schoolwork. "Do you want me to set the table too?"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emI'll do that, Colton. You can go on to your room until dinner if you want."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emThanks, Baba."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"emNodding, Rhodey turned back to his wife, "Moni, what /emstrongexactly/strongem did Tony say when he called?"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""'emHey, can your husband come out and play hooky with me tomorrow?'"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emThat's it?"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"emShe shrugged, "That's it."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emHe didn't give you /emstrongany /strongemdetails at all?"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emNo, he didn't."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emAnd you said yes?"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"emMonica put down the spoon in her hand, and turned to look at him, "Of course I said yes, James. I mean you're grown and don't need my permission to take a day to go off with your best friend."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Their conversation had ended with him asking her if Tony had given her any indication what his plans were and of course Monica had had to tell him no. Now here he was fifteen hours later with Tony, and he still didn't have any ideas what the other man was up to./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"After they had been driving for a little while, familiar streets along with other familiar sights started to greet Rhodey's vision, and finally when they turned down a certain street he couldn't keep quiet any longer, "Tony, are you taking me to what emused /emto be my parents' house?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"But his friend didn't respond, or acknowledge the question until he had parked the car in the driveway. It was only then that Tony turned to emhis /embest friend, and answered, "You're right. This emused/em to be your parents' house, just like now it's emused/em to be the house of Mr. Milton E. Roach and Mrs. Angela S. Messerly Roach."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Used to be? What do you mean it, emused/em to be the house of the Roaches?" Rhodey asked, looking at the outside of the house he had grown up in./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""What I mean, platypus, is that the Roaches no longer own this house."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He'd been about to ask Tony who does own it now, but then a thought passed through his head, and Rhodey turned back to him, "Please tell me that you're not the one who owns the house now?!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Okay, I don't."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Good because I-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I don't because emyou/em do."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""What? What did you say?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I said, I don't own it because actually emyou /emdo. Well that's not entirely accurate because it's also your sisters' house too. Or rather will be after the three of you sign some legal paperwork at the lawyer's office."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""It's what?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Tony gave his friend a look of concern, then asked, "Are you okay, platypus? Because you're not usually this emslow/em on the intake. I mean you're…"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Why?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The quiet, single word question silenced the rambling billionaire better than a blaring air raid siren, and he in turn gave his best friend a dumbfounded one word response, "What?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I said emwhy/em?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Why what?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Rhodey rolled his eyes at that, "Now who's being a little slow on the intake, Tony?" He continued smirking for a few more seconds, but then all mirth vanished from his face, and he asked, "Seriously, Tony, emwhy/em... Why did you buy my… parents' old house?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""So I could give it to you? You know since the authorities kinda frown on you kicking people out of their own house."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I'm being serious here."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""So am I."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Tony swallowed, nodded, and became as serious as his friend, "Because the house you and your sisters got to grow up in a home instead of just a house, and it wasem wrong /emthat it got sold to someone who wasn't any of the three of you. Why is that anyway? Why emdid/em your mom decide to sell it without telling any of you that's what she was going to do?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"With a shrug he answered, "I don't know. Embarrassment… or pride… or maybe both. Mom got into financial trouble, and I don't know maybe she was too embarrassed to say anything to the three of us until it was too late and the sale was practically completed."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"There was also the possibility that Mary Rhodes hadn't wanted Tony to get involved, and that's why she didn't say anything to her son since her son's rich, best friend's involvement really would have made her even emmore /emembarrassed. Tony would have done something too, in an instant, if he knew she had needed the help and not just for Rhodey's sake. He would have done it for Mary because she had always been nothing but kind to him since the moment he had met her, especially after…/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""So why now?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Although the words didn't sink in, Rhodey's question snapped Tony out of his thoughts, "What?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I asked why now? Why buy back my parents' houseem now/em? I mean I hadn't thought about it in years. I doubt Tanesha or Alyssa have either… or at least I doubt Tanesha has."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Call it a wedding present."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony, I've been married to Monica for over two years now."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Okay, call it emlate/em wedding present."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I think the month long honeymoon in Greece was your and Pepper's wedding present."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes that was our wedding gift to you both but the honeymoon was also our way of saying we were sorry dropping the company ball on you right when we did."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Well, the Greece honeymoon still counted and was the embest /emwedding gift we could have been given." It had been the honeymoon of their dreams, and the time he'd spent with his wife in Greece was something he'd never forget for as long as he lived./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""It didn't really count."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, it did."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No, it didn't."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, it did."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No, didn't."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, it did."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Okay, fine, it counted, and this," Tony gestured at the house, "was because I thought I, oh don't know, I want to do somethingem nice/em for my best friend! There! Happy?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Totally ecstatic. Seriously why didn't you just say that when I asked you before?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Because it borders on the touchy feely stuff that's more in Pepper's territory than it is mine."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Knowing his friend would appreciate it more if he didn't pursue it, Rhodey opened the car door, and said before getting out, "So do you have the key?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"strongFIN/strong/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"When the doorbell rang, Bruce heard his wife give an exasperated "Ohhh!" from upstairs which was quickly followed by, "That's probably them now. Bruce, would you mind getting that? I'm not quite finished with getting a certain little boy ready yet!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sure, honey," he called back, feeding his daughter one more spoonful of cereal before getting up. He gave her a quick kiss on her head full of dark, beautiful hair and said, "Daddy will be right back, sweetheart."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The baby girl smiles up at him, inserting her little fist into her mouth as she watches him walk to the front door./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Bruce blows her a kiss, and then unlocks the door, opening it wide to the people on the other side, "Tony! Pepper!" Although he's sure that Tony was the one to ring the doorbell it's Pepper who is standing closest to the door, and so she's the one who gets the first welcoming gesture, which is a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""You too, Bruce! We've missed you and Betty around the tower!" Pepper replied, returning the hug then stepping out of the way so the men can greet each other./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Bruce shrugs as he bumps fists with Tony before they clasp hands in a handshake, "Yeah well, we've missed you too, both of you and everyone. But when we decided on doing this… on adopting the twins, we justem had/em to get out of the city."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sure, we understand," Pepper said, as she tried to peek around him before asking, "Is that her? Is that one of the twins?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Uh huh," Bruce said, walking back over to the high chair where the baby girl was reaching out for her Daddy./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Although her little hands were a little messy from the mashed fruit she had been eating along with the cereal he had been feeding her, Bruce didn't hesitate to pick her up into his arms, picking up a napkin as he did to clean her hands and mouth. He turned around, and said, "Prisha, say hello to your Auntie Pepper and Uncle Tony."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The baby stared at them wide-eyed./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper stepped closer, and said gently, "Hello, sweetheart." She looked up at Bruce, "Do you think she'd let me hold her?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Well we can try, but don't be surprised if she's a little shy."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Nodding Pepper extended her hands to take the little girl, but the baby turned her head around, and buried her face in Bruce's neck with a whimper. He rubbed her back, and spoke to her in a language that neither Tony or Pepper couldn't understand. The baby turned her head back around to shyly peeked at them for only a few seconds before burying her face against her Daddy's neck again./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sorry," Bruce said to them as he continued to rub the little girl's back./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, there's no need to apologize, Bruce. After all, she doesn't know us right now," Pepper said./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No, but I hope we have the opportunity to change that so they both can get to know you," Betty said entering with a baby boy in her arms./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""And who is this handsome little man here?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""This," the other woman said with a wide, proud smile, "is Devansh Bruce Banner. Devansh sweetheart, this is your Aunt Pepper… or do you prefer Aunt Ginny?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, Pepper is fine," she reassured Betty./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Or at least it would be fine until they started talking, and if they had a hard time saying Pepper, they could always switch back to Ginny then./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Betty nodded, and began again, "Okay, this is your Aunt Pepper, and Uncle Tony."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The little boy had been staring wide eyed at them just like his sister, and unlike his sister, he surprised them by reaching his arms out towards Tony. Surprised, the adults stood there long enough for the baby to whine and reach for Tony again when he wasn't taken by the person he seemed to want./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Tony looked at his wife with a smirk then stepped closer to Betty, and with her okay, gently pulled the Devansh into his arms./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I wouldn't be too puffed up if I were you, Tony," Bruce said, "He probably just wants your-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Before he could finish the warning, the baby reached up, and pulled Tony's sunglasses off of his face./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Glasses."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"It was now Pepper's turn to smirk as the little boy promptly put the glasses up to his mouth, and began chewing on them. Betty was quick to pry the sunglasses away from the baby, and hand them over to Bruce while she took back a now unhappy and crying Devansh from his uncle's arms./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sorry about that, Tony," she apologized as she rubbed her son's back, trying to calm him down from his disappointed upset./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, sorry about that," Bruce echoed while he walked over to a playpen in the corner, "I guess we should have thought to warn you about the fact he's got a fascination for glasses of emany/em kind right now." As he spoke, he gently set his daughter down in the playpen./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, Bruce can't even hold him right now wearing his glasses," Betty added./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Meanwhile Prisha quickly made it clear that she didn't like being put down, and her little face crumbled as she held her little arms out to her Daddy, wanting to be picked up again./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, baby, don't cry. Daddy will be right back. I just need to go wash off the yucky spit your brother got all over Uncle Tony's nice sunglasses."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I can do it, Bruce," Pepper said, appearing at his side, "If you'll just point me in the direction of the kitchen or the bathroom."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He turned around and pointed to a door in the corner, "Right through there, and thank you." He returned to pick up the little baby girl just in time before she really got upset, although a few crocodile tears still did roll down her face. "Awww, sweetie, Daddy's here. Don't cry." He rubbed her back while the baby laid her head down on his shoulder./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper was about to go into the kitchen to wash off the sunglasses when Tony stopped her./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I'll do it," he said, taking them from her./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Okay."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Be right back."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"She nodded, and turned back to their friends as he disappeared into the kitchen. Sitting back down, she watched them both for a moment, noting how both of the twins were calm now./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""So, how is the neighborhood?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, it's been really great so far," Betty answered, "Our neighbors seem to be great."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Bruce nodded, confirming, "Yeah even if some of them are a little bit um... emodd/em."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Bruce!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Well some of them are, honey! Like take Mrs. Oldathenian, for example."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""She is not odd! Just because she has more than one cat does not make her odd!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Come on, Betty, she's the classic cat lady of the neighborhood!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""She is not!" she replied back then looked at Pepper, "She has all of ten cats!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Ten cats? Wow, that is a lot of cats but I thought in order for a lady to qualify as a emclassic cat lady/em they had to have at least twenty or more cats."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Maybe twenty or more is the usual number to qualify but I still say it only has to be ten in this case because her house is one of the smaller ones on this block and ten cats in a small house has to make it feel like twenty or more!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Before Betty could respond to that statement, Tony emerged from the kitchen, "So what did I miss?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, Bruce and Betty were just telling me about one of their neighbors."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Ah, I see. Got any really eminteresting/em ones around here?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, we have a few."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Are you going to share all the juicy details with us?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""What?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper rolled her eyes and looked at the other couple, "You don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Awww, Pep!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, Pepper, Tony, I really wish you guys hadn't done this!" Betty fussed as she opened the largest of the three wrapped gift boxes./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"It'd taken awhile to get her to call them by their given names but at last they had emfinally/em reached the point where she felt comfortable with being so informal with them./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Well, I emwasn't/em planning to originally but then Tony showed me what's in that box… and well I may have given in just a bit!" Pepper said sheepishly./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Hey! Are you blaming me for emyou/em getting carried away buying all the gifts you totally intended to buy all along?" Tony retorted./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Completely, and totally!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He huffed but was unable to continue with the play bickering as Betty finally pushed back the tissue paper in the box, and pulled out the first item inside./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh my… these are just way too adorable!" She held up a pink onesie for Bruce to read that saidem OLDER WISER/em, followed by a white one that said emYOUNGER CUTER/em./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"There were nine other sets of onesies in the box. Betty oohed and aahed over each one as she pulled them out. She especially loved the emThing 1/Thing 2/em, emAhhh/Choo/em, and emPartners/In Crime/em onesies the most although they all had very adorable plays on the twins theme./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Aren't these all just so cute, Bruce?" Betty gushed as she started gathering all of them up to take to the nursery./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He nodded, and smiled in the shy way they had all come to expect and love about him. He looked down at the emJEDI IN TRAINING/em onesie he held in his hands, and said, "You know, guys, you really shouldn't have."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Why not? You're some of our best… and emclosest/em friends and your little rugrats are only going to be little once," Tony countered./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""But still, guys!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper smiled at him, "Bruce, Tony is right. You're both two of our closest friends, and your beautiful babies will only be babies once. I know we overdid it just a little but as their Aunt and Uncle I think we're entitled to gushing over them a little."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Speaking of gushing, aren't you going to open the other two boxes?" Tony added, waggling his eyebrows./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Fatherhood really seems to agree with Bruce. I don't think I've ever seen him look so happy," Pepper mused later that night after their own kids were in bed and they were watching a rather spectacular thunderstorm unfold outside./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen the Big Guy look this happy… or this at peace except for maybe the day he got off that plane and saw Betty standing there. And it's really good to see him find his happiness too after all this time because…"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""You care about him? Not emjust/em as a best friend but like like a brother? You know it's okay to say that aloud, right?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, I know but that wasn't what I was going to say."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"A very loud clap of thunder interrupted their conversation, and when it finally finished echoing, Pepper asked, "JARVIS, did that wake Ethan or Eva up?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No, Ma'am, it did not. I initiated Sir's thunderstorm protocols in Master Ethan and Miss Eva's rooms the moment the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Did they now?" Tony remarked./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Satisfied that the storm wouldn't awaken their children, Pepper snuggled back up against Tony, and asked, "Now what were you saying before that?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Tony hesitated, the storm's interruption to what he had been saying had given him a moment to reconsider what he had been about to tell her. What he had been about to say about Bruce was very personal, and he wasn't sure it is something his friend would want repeated. But then he remembered the situation in which Bruce had made the admission, and given how public the situation had been, he decided that it would be okay to say it after all./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony?" Pepper said, sitting up to look at him, "Is something wrong?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He shook his head, "No, no… I was just remembering saying Bruce told me… and everyone else shortly after we all met each other for the first time. You know the whole thing with Loki?" He continued after he felt her nod, "Well there is one thing I haven't told you about our little infighting session on the helicarrier… it was something that Bruce said that got to me more than I've ever wanted anyone, him included, to know."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""What did he say?" Pepper asked after a moment when he didn't continue./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""He said that he got to a low point… a point so low that he tried to kill himself."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper sat up again, alarmed shock on her face, "What?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, Bruce tried to kill himself… or at least I think that was what was admitting to when he said he put a bullet in his mouth and the Other Guy spit it out. I guess when he did that when he was trying to find a emcure /emfor being the Hulk and it failed."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh, Tony."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I know. When he said that, it... it got to me so much that it emscared/em me. I'd been wanting to meet him for a long time, even before that day because I had a feeling we'd get along spectacularly. I mean, relatively speaking, Bruce is one of the most brilliant minds out there, a perfect match with my own, so why wouldn't we?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper smiled to herself, thinking of a reason emwhy/em they might not have gotten along, and that was personalities clashing. Bruce easily could have been as cocky as he was brilliant. He could have felt threatened by Tony's own genius, and they could have clashed as badly as Tony had with Steve in the past. She was so glad that had not been the case where Bruce was concerned because it had been wonderful to see Tony gain a new, true friend during a time when he had so few upon./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""... and what do you know? I was only one thousand percent emright/em about us getting along! The more we talked the more I knew I'd been right, and then he said what he said I just..."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"When she felt him shudder, she snuggled closer to him, "I can only imagine how hearing such a... an admission made you feel. I know emhow/em I would have felt if I had heard him say something like that. We can only be thankful that the Hulk's will to live was far stronger than Bruce's desire to die at that moment."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah," Tony murmured, pressing a kiss on the side of her head, "Because I hate to think I might not ever have had the chance to have met Bruce." emOr be his friend./em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, me too."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Dear, emdear/em Bruce./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Yes, she was so thankful that his attempt had not been successful because she would have missed the chance to get to know the kind-hearted scientist too. Plus after getting to know Betty, she hated to think about the grief his death by his own hand would have put the other woman through./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"A streak of lightning lit up the room again, and was followed by a very loud clap of thunder./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Wow that emreally/em loud!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Tony nodded in agreement, his eyebrows shooting upwards, "Yes, it was. JARVIS, are the protocols holding-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Daddy?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Well that answersem that /emquestion," he muttered before getting up, "What'sa matter, Princess? Did the loud thunder wake you up?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The little girl nodded as she was picked up, "It scared me, Daddy! It was weally loud I taught someting sploded!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Watching them interact, Pepper murmured, "Is Ethan still asleep, JARVIS?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No, Ma'am. Master Ethan is currently huddling underneath his comforter."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emEx/emploded, princess. Exploded."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Exploded," Eva repeated the word slowly./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""That's right, sweetpea. Exploded."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""JARVIS, how much longer is the storm going to go on?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""It is my estimation the storm will intermittently continue for the next ninety minutes."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, honey?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""JARVIS said the storm is going to continue on and off for the next ninety minutes, so I was thinking maybe the kids would like to come sleep in our room."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Kids?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, Ethan is awake too."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Hmm, Ethan too?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Pepper nodded./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Okay then, I guess I need to make some adjustments to the Light N Sound Show protocols for future storms. In the meantime, if they want to come to our room to sleep, that's fine with me. Why don't you two ladies go get settled into bed while I go get the E-man, and invite him to our slumber party?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sounds good. Come on, sweetheart. Let's go get all comfy in bed."/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"strongAugust 2024/strong/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"It was shortly after lunch, Rhodey returned to his desk with the intention of knocking down a few of the reporters stacked there. But things didn't quite go as planned because the second he opened up one of the folders, he felt his phone vibrate with an incoming text./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Since it was the phone that only a small select group of people had (his family in other words), he knew he should at least see who the message was from. He pulled it out of his pocket just as the phone vibrated again./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"[Hey, Platypus? You busy?]] - emReceived 12:55pm/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"[[I'm going to be taking a little day trip and I think you should come with.]]em Received 12:56pm/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Smiling, Rhodey hit the dial button and didn't give his friend a chance to send another text./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The phone only rang once, and Tony answered, "So should I take this call as a yes?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Depends."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""On?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Where this little day trip is to?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Did I mention it's a surprise?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Then I'm going to have to say no, Tones."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Aww, really?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Why?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Looking at his desk, and replied, "Because I'm running your old company for a board and shareholders that no longer includes you or Pepper in their number?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Awww, Platypus! You're killing it here!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Sorry but seriously I can't just go off right now unless it's something worth taking the time for. Maybe if you told me where you're going and what we'll be doing there..."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Blue Bell."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Come again?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I said emBlue Bell/em, as in PA or Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philly, otherwise known as-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I know what it's otherwise known as!" Rhodey interrupted, rolling his eyes, "I'm from there, remember?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, I remember."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"When Tony didn't continue beyond the confirmation, he asked, "So emwhy /emare you going to my hometown?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""To find out you'll have to come with."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I'm serious, buddy. You'll have to come with me if you want to know."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""What's there?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Something I can't tell you."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Seriously?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, because it's a emsurprise/em."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""And you're not going to tell me are you?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Or give me any clues?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Nope."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Releasing a slow sigh, Rhodey shook his head, "I really shouldn't but when are you going on your little day trip?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tomorrow."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Of course you are," Rhodey said, shaking his head as he went through his schedule mentally, "Wait, tomorrow's good for me because-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""You have a meeting free day."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony, did you hack my schedule again?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""How many times do I have to tell you that no one says emhack/em anymore?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He heard his friend eye roll, and rolled his own eye, "Don't change the subject!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Also it'sstrong not/strong hacking when the computers in your office are still connected to JARVIS. And emwho/em cares how I know? I just do. So tomorrow's a go?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yeah, yeah, it's a go... assuming Moni doesn't need me for anything."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""She won't."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""You don't know... wait, did you already talk to my wife about this?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Uh huh."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony, I swear sometimes..."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Oh you know you love me."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I do not. You're annoying!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""But that's why you love me."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Shaking his head and rolling his eyes again, Rhodey told him, "Okay if I am going with you to tomorrow on this little day trip of yours, I need to get some actual work done, so I'm gonna hang up now." He hit the end button on the phone before Tony could respond. Putting his phone down, he settled into doing a little so he could go with his friend tomorrow without feeling guilty about it./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony, I really need to get something done," he muttered when his phone vibrated a few seconds later./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"[[Check with J for tomorrow's deets.]] - strongReceived 1:01pm/strong/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The next morning after a short flight to Philadelphia International Airport, Rhodey found himself seated beside his best friend, in an actual rental car, driving towards a destination he wasn't sure of. However with the absence of Happy or another member of the billionaire's security team, and given how he knew how a lot people felt about Tony these days, his curiosity was half turned on at best. Tony's cryptic,em "You'll see!" /emwhen he had asked where they were going hadn't helped to settle down the knot in his stomach either./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emSo you already know about Tony's little plans for tomorrow?" Rhodey asked, almost the second he walked in the door at home the previous evening. But it was only just almost since he kissed his wife before he began interrogating her./em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emHello to you too, honey," Monica replied in an amused tone before turning around to head back to the kitchen. "Dinner will be in fifteen minutes, Cole, so please clear the table."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emYes, ma'am," The teenaged boy said with a nod, and then started picking up his schoolwork. "Do you want me to set the table too?"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emI'll do that, Colton. You can go on to your room until dinner if you want."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emThanks, Baba."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"emNodding, Rhodey turned back to his wife, "Moni, what /emstrongexactly/strongem did Tony say when he called?"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""'emHey, can your husband come out and play hooky with me tomorrow?'"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emThat's it?"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"emShe shrugged, "That's it."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emHe didn't give you /emstrongany /strongemdetails at all?"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emNo, he didn't."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""emAnd you said yes?"/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"emMonica put down the spoon in her hand, and turned to look at him, "Of course I said yes, James. I mean you're grown and don't need my permission to take a day to go off with your best friend."/em/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Their conversation had ended with him asking her if Tony had given her any indication what his plans were and of course Monica had had to tell him no. Now here he was fifteen hours later with Tony, and he still didn't have any ideas what the other man was up to./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"After they had been driving for a little while, familiar streets along with other familiar sights started to greet Rhodey's vision, and finally when they turned down a certain street he couldn't keep quiet any longer, "Tony, are you taking me to what emused /emto be my parents' house?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"But his friend didn't respond, or acknowledge the question until he had parked the car in the driveway. It was only then that Tony turned to emhis /embest friend, and answered, "You're right. This emused/em to be your parents' house, just like now it's emused/em to be the house of Mr. Milton E. Roach and Mrs. Angela S. Messerly Roach."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Used to be? What do you mean it, emused/em to be the house of the Roaches?" Rhodey asked, looking at the outside of the house he had grown up in./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""What I mean, platypus, is that the Roaches no longer own this house."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"He'd been about to ask Tony who does own it now, but then a thought passed through his head, and Rhodey turned back to him, "Please tell me that you're not the one who owns the house now?!"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Okay, I don't."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Good because I-"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I don't because emyou/em do."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""What? What did you say?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I said, I don't own it because actually emyou /emdo. Well that's not entirely accurate because it's also your sisters' house too. Or rather will be after the three of you sign some legal paperwork at the lawyer's office."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""It's what?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Tony gave his friend a look of concern, then asked, "Are you okay, platypus? Because you're not usually this emslow/em on the intake. I mean you're…"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Why?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"The quiet, single word question silenced the rambling billionaire better than a blaring air raid siren, and he in turn gave his best friend a dumbfounded one word response, "What?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I said emwhy/em?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Why what?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Rhodey rolled his eyes at that, "Now who's being a little slow on the intake, Tony?" He continued smirking for a few more seconds, but then all mirth vanished from his face, and he asked, "Seriously, Tony, emwhy/em... Why did you buy my… parents' old house?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""So I could give it to you? You know since the authorities kinda frown on you kicking people out of their own house."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I'm being serious here."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""So am I."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Tony swallowed, nodded, and became as serious as his friend, "Because the house you and your sisters got to grow up in a home instead of just a house, and it wasem wrong /emthat it got sold to someone who wasn't any of the three of you. Why is that anyway? Why emdid/em your mom decide to sell it without telling any of you that's what she was going to do?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"With a shrug he answered, "I don't know. Embarrassment… or pride… or maybe both. Mom got into financial trouble, and I don't know maybe she was too embarrassed to say anything to the three of us until it was too late and the sale was practically completed."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"There was also the possibility that Mary Rhodes hadn't wanted Tony to get involved, and that's why she didn't say anything to her son since her son's rich, best friend's involvement really would have made her even emmore /emembarrassed. Tony would have done something too, in an instant, if he knew she had needed the help and not just for Rhodey's sake. He would have done it for Mary because she had always been nothing but kind to him since the moment he had met her, especially after…/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""So why now?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Although the words didn't sink in, Rhodey's question snapped Tony out of his thoughts, "What?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I asked why now? Why buy back my parents' houseem now/em? I mean I hadn't thought about it in years. I doubt Tanesha or Alyssa have either… or at least I doubt Tanesha has."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Call it a wedding present."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Tony, I've been married to Monica for over two years now."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Okay, call it emlate/em wedding present."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""I think the month long honeymoon in Greece was your and Pepper's wedding present."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes that was our wedding gift to you both but the honeymoon was also our way of saying we were sorry dropping the company ball on you right when we did."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Well, the Greece honeymoon still counted and was the embest /emwedding gift we could have been given." It had been the honeymoon of their dreams, and the time he'd spent with his wife in Greece was something he'd never forget for as long as he lived./p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""It didn't really count."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, it did."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No, it didn't."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, it did."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""No, didn't."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Yes, it did."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Okay, fine, it counted, and this," Tony gestured at the house, "was because I thought I, oh don't know, I want to do somethingem nice/em for my best friend! There! Happy?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Totally ecstatic. Seriously why didn't you just say that when I asked you before?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;""Because it borders on the touchy feely stuff that's more in Pepper's territory than it is mine."/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"Knowing his friend would appreciate it more if he didn't pursue it, Rhodey opened the car door, and said before getting out, "So do you have the key?"/p
p style="font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium;"strongFIN/strong/p