It was still very early on Saturday morning when Sarah woke up to Peter's phone buzzing for the 6th time.
"Pete, snooze!" She complained as she lazily pulled the pillow back over her head. Peter mumbled incoherently as he groggily forced himself out of bed to grab his phone off the desk. He peered at the screen through sleep-hazed eyes as he crawled back under the covers, laying silent for a moment before realization suddenly set in.
"Oh my god. Sarah." The shock in his voice was evident, but the only answer he received was a light snore.
"Sarah, wake up." He gave the underside of the top bunk a swift kick.
"But were not going to breakfast until 10." She rasped, hearing Peter leap out of bed and fumble around. She curiously cracked open an eye and found two big brown ones staring back at her over the bunk bed railing. She stared back, unwavering in her resolve to stay cozy.
"I have 4 missed calls and 2 voicemails from Happy." Peter's breathy whisper was slightly frenzied. Sarah propped herself up on one elbow while his words took a second to sink in.
"I didn't think he'd actually call you back!" Sarah said in a panicked whisper. They both knew Aunt May was awake already, probably sipping her coffee and watching the news. The bedroom door was still cracked from last night, and she hoped the TV would drown out their voices.
"I changed my mind. I don't want Mr. Stark to know anymore." Sarah sat bolt upright, looking every bit as nervous as she felt.
"What!?" Peter stepped down off the edge of the bed, still clutching his phone. "It's too late now! Why didn't you tell me that last night before I called Happy?"
"I don't know!" She threw her hands in the air. They were mostly concealed under the baggy sleeves of her pajama top.
Before Peter could reply, his cell began to vibrate in his hand. Both of them stiffened slightly as he pressed the phone to his ear. "Happy?"
"Hey kid, it's me."
"Mr. Stark! I-"
"Is your cousin still there?"
"Y-yeah, how did you know?" Peter eased himself into his computer chair, fidgeting slightly.
"Happy told me. Listen, I hope you aren't super busy right now because I would love to swing by and meet this mystery relative of yours. From what Happy said, she sounds pretty...shocking."
Peter ignored the lame pun. "Like, right now? Um, yeah, I think that would be ok, let me just ask if-"
"I'm almost there, buzz me up in 20 minutes."
Click.
"He's gonna be here in 20 minutes!" Peter half whispered, half yelled as he shot up out of his chair, making it roll backwards and smack the desk loudly.
"Are you kids awake?" May's voice echoed from down the hall, followed by soft, slippered footsteps. They both stood there, dumbfounded, still donning jammies and bedhead. May pushed the door open and peeked in.
"Do you wanna get dressed so we can go to the diner?" She smiled, but it quickly dropped as she studied Peter's face. "What's wrong?"
Peter and Sarah exchanged a look. "Mr. Stark wants to stop by for a visit." He said.
"Oh." May brightened again. "What's wrong with that?"
"He's on his way, he'll be here in 20 minutes." They both braced themselves for the impending criticism.
"Right now?" Her eyebrows raised in irritation. She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand and squeezed her coffee cup in the other. "Have to tell you, not a fan of that Tony Stark. What does he want at 8:30 on Saturday morning?" Her voice inflected with slight annoyance.
Sarah watched the uneasiness manifesting on Peter's face. "Um...he didn't say. Probably about the summer internship."
May let out a frustrated sigh. "This should be interesting." She gave them a parting smile and made her way to her own room to get dressed. As soon as she was out of ear shot, the whispers began again.
"I'll just stay in here." Sarah stated matter-of-factly. "You can talk to him for me."
"What? You can't do that, the whole reason he came was for you. It will be fine, I promise." He reassured her, then quickly grabbed a changed of clothes and made a mad dash for the shower.
Sarah locked the door behind him and got dressed quickly as she tried to wrap her head around the events unfolding in front of her. Suddenly out of nowhere, she had been blessed, or cursed, with this strange new ability that she knew absolutely nothing about, and now Iron Man himself wanted to meet her. Anxiety began to slither up inside, making her feel hot and dizzy. She steadied herself by grabbing the railing of the bunk bed, but as soon as she made contact, a spike of electricity shot through the metal frame with a loud ZAP. Sarah jumped back and let out a squeal. Thank goodness May's door was closed.
It was strange to her that she found instant relief in letting off that accidental shock. The hot flash that had such a sudden onset immediately diminished in the wake of the erratic blue sparks.
And maybe, just maybe, meeting Mr. Stark was a good thing after all. She wanted help, and she wanted it soon.
Tony arrived exactly 20 minutes later, like clockwork. Sarah, who was now dressed with teeth brushed and hair combed, sat next to Peter on the couch, who's hair was still wet from his rushed shower. May opened the front door.
"Tony, hi, come in." She sounded sweet and polite, putting on her biggest smile, even though Sarah knew she found Tony's visit inconvenient and ill timed.
He strode in confidently, giving May a nod and a "thank you."
He wasn't a tall man, but his overall persona exuded authority, and his presence in the room commanded immediate attention. Sarah couldn't take her eyes off him. She'd never seen a famous person up close before. He slid off his sunglasses and slipped them in the collar of his shirt.
"Look alive, Pete!" Tony winked at Peter as May showed him into the living room. "Did you get my voicemails?"
"Hi Mr. Stark, uh, no...I didn't get-"
"That's ok." He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down opposite Peter, gesturing at Sarah. "Is this your friend?"
"Cousin, actually. This is Sarah."
"Nice to meet you," Tony nodded before quickly moving on. "Ok, I'll get right to the point. I've got a proposition for you."
"Can I get you something to drink first?" May chirped from the kitchen.
"That would be wonderful, thank you." Tony replied without his usual sarcasm. He pointed to Sarah and silently mouthed, "Is this her?"
Before Peter could answer, May reappeared with a cup of coffee and set it on the coffee table in front of Tony.
"So, what can we do for you Tony?" May sat down in the recliner and eyed him suspiciously.
"Well, now that we're all moved in to the new compound upstate, I think it's important that Peter sees where we're at and what we're working on. And since school is out, I think this would be the perfect time to get Peter started in the summer program at Stark Industries. We have quite a bit of restructuring in the works, and I need my brightest intern front and center."
Peter's eyes widened fractionally before stealing a quick glance at his aunt. Sarah was also trying to assess May's mood, and thankfully, she looked impressed.
"I've outlined the whole week for you to take a look at..." Tony trailed off and began to pat down his jacket. "Shoot. I must've left it behind.
"So is this like an 8-5 thing?" May inquired, her gaze locked on Tony.
"Actually, we would provide room and board. For Mr. Parker and a guest of his choosing."
Sarah could sense Peter's palpable excitement threatening to boil over.
"Wait, a guest?" May leaned forward, looking perplexed. "I've never heard of a program that offers interns to bring guests along, what kind of internship is this exactly?"
Tony began to fade back into his presumptuous old self again. "Well, look who you're talkin' to." He smiled wide. "We've never been a conventional sort of company. Peter will be working with me directly, along with Dr. Bruce Banner. It's possible we could make this count for a college credit."
"Dr. Banner?" Peter breathed.
"That's right, kid, it's about time you meet the world's leading authority in gamma radiation."
It took an hour or so of Tony hashing out every detail with Aunt May before she decided that, perhaps, it was a good idea after all. Once she had finally agreed, Tony stood up, thanked May for her time, and turned to Peter.
"So, have you decided who you want to bring?"
"Uh, yes. I want to bring my cousin." Peter turned to Sarah. "She's a big fan of Dr. Banner."
"You are?" May cut in, furrowing her brow at her timid niece. "I didn't know that."
Sarah was quietly looking from May to Tony, and back again, when Peter nudged her with his elbow.
"Yes!" She piped, a little over-enthusiastically. "I love him. And science. So neat."
May rubbed her chin. "Hmm. I don't recall that..."
"So, are we ready to go then?" Tony quickly changed the subject and slid his designer sunglasses on. "Happy is waiting in the car."
"Right now?" Peter blurted out.
"Uh, yeah," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "What do you think I came all the way here for?"
Peter looked at May for approval. Thankfully, Tony had spent that last hour talking her in circles, so that by this point, she was too worn out to protest.
"Well, I suppose I can't let you pass up an opportunity like this. You'd better pack quickly." She smiled as Peter excitedly jumped up from the couch. "Tony, you'd better take care of them. These kids mean the world to me."
"You have my word." Tony winked at Sarah. "Don't worry, nothing too dangerous."
Twenty minutes later, Peter and Sarah stood in the doorway, holding their overnight bags. Sarah was already living out of a bag, so it took her very little time. Tony had already gone downstairs.
"Remember, if you want to come home early, you call me right away." May patted Peter's cheek and gave him a hesitant smile. "I'm so proud of you." She squeezed him in a tight hug.
"You know I'm only gonna be gone a week, right?" He returned her hug and patted her comfortingly on the shoulder.
"Ok, ok, you're right, I'm sorry." She huffed, then turned to Sarah. "The same goes for you too, Sweetie. If you wanna come home early, just say the word." May hugged Sarah just as tight and exchanged I love you's with them as she watched them leave, reluctantly closing the door behind them.
As the two of them rode the elevator down from the 7th floor, neither of them could contain their excitement.
"I can't believe this is happening." Sarah breathed, slightly panicked.
"I know! This is going to be the best week of my life!" Peter bellowed in the small elevator.
"Do you really think he's going to be able to help me?" She lamented hopefully. Peter had nearly forgotten in his excitement that Sarah was the whole reason Tony had come to collect them as quickly as he did.
"If anyone can help you, he can." The elevator doors opened, and Peter and Sarah made their way outside just as Happy was popping the trunk. They threw their bags in, slammed it shut, and climbed into the backseat where Tony had been waiting somewhat patiently.
"Ok, what's going on here?" He looked from Peter, to Sarah, and back to Peter again. When he realized Peter was hesitating, he prompted him again. "Spill, kid."
Peter began to go into all the details and events involving the alien tech they had been playing with and everything else leading up to that day, but leaving the part out about the fight Sarah had with her mom. He knew she was sensitive to that, and she appreciated him for it.
Tony listened to every word, not once interrupting to ask questions or make comments.
"Well, I think the first thing we need to do is have you checked out, head to toe. Well start with a full neurological assessment. Are there any side effects?"
"Not so far." Sarah said timidly.
The whole ride there was filled with questions from Tony and mostly answers from Peter, since Sarah too anxious to properly explain herself. Thankfully Peter knew this without Sarah needing to tell him.
"Thanks for helping, Mr. Stark." Peter said as the car slowed to a stop in front of the compound.
"Don't mention it." Tony opened the car door, then paused. "Actually, I take it back. You can mention it." He smiled as he climbed out, clearly pleased with himself.
Tony showed them inside and gave them a brief tour of the compound, which still seemed to take forever, because the place was huge. Sarah was sure it was the largest building she had ever seen, with a library, a screening room, an indoor pool, inside and outside training grounds, an industrial kitchen, a gym, a common area that looked like an enormous living room, a laboratory, and hallway after hallway of what she thought must have been a thousand bedrooms. Tony came to a stop outside one of the rooms.
"Well, Pete, this one's all yours. What do you think?"
Peter spun a full 360 degrees, mouth hanging open. It was three times as big as his room at home.
"It's amazing, Mr. Stark, thank you." He flopped over backwards are the large bed, limbs outstretched. "Can I stay here forever?"
"Actually, I do need to talk to you about that. But first," Tony said eagerly, "I'm gonna show Sarah where her room is. Hang tight, we'll be right back."
Tony gestured for Sarah to follow him, and as they walked, Sarah could hear Peter's muffled voice from the bathroom, yelling about the TV that was strategically placed above the bathtub. He started with a bit of light hearted conversation to break the ice. He pointed to the first room they passed after Peter's.
"This is Vision's room. He's not real big on doors. Or walls. But he's learning." He smiled and stopped in front of the next door. "This is your room." He turned the handle and let the door swing open wide. It was clean and simple with an open, airy sort of vibe. Sarah shyly stepped inside, a blast of AC kissing her face. The layout of her room was very similar to Peter's, with a private bathroom and walk in closet. It was probably the nicest room she had ever stayed in. Even it was only for a week.
"Thank you." Sarah smiled half heartedly.
The excitement on Tony's face quickly faded. "What's wrong?"
Sarah hesitated, sliding her hands into her jacket pockets as she sat down on the corner of the plush looking bed. It was so soft she felt like she might sink to the floor. "Am I gonna be ok, Mr. Stark?"
"Knowledge is key, my dear." He smiled warmly at her as he began to pace around the room, hands clasped behind his back. "I know quite a bit about the alien tech that gave you your ailment."
Sarah was silent for a beat as a wave of relief set in.
"Of course you're gonna be ok," Tony sat down next to her. He studied her face a little before he spoke. "We're gonna take care of you. Do you trust me?"
She smiled, and Tony took it for a 'yes'. He was so kind. They had only just met a few hours ago and already she felt better with Tony than she did at home. But that didn't really count, she'd rather be anywhere than be at home.
And the relationship between him and Peter was like one she hadn't seen before. Peter still addressed him as Mr. Stark, but she was pretty sure there was something more between those two. They were much closer than everyone around them probably realized, and if Peter called him 'Dad' instead, Tony would most likely just go with it.
"When I told Peter I needed help, you were the first person he mentioned." She thought back to last night, having no idea she'd end up here in just 12 short hours.
Tony puffed out his chest a little, clearly pleased. "Yep, that's my boy." He sighed proudly as he stood up and made his way for the door. He paused on the way out, bouncing on his heels with excitement.
"After lunch, let's meet up in the lab. Deal?" He pranced away without letting her answer. She could hear his footsteps fading down the hallway, and then voices as he must've ran into someone.
This man she had just met a few hours ago was more generous and kind than she had realized. Sarah breathed deep and felt relaxed for the first time in a while, knowing that out of all the hands to be in, Tony's was probably the best. This week was definitely going to go by fast, and she felt the same way Peter did. Couldn't she just live here forever? And May could have the room next door?
Sarah jumped and bounded for the door in a mad dash to get back to Peter's room. Just as she emerged in the hallway, she smacked face first into another person and nearly toppled over.
"I'm so sorry!" The tall stranger clamored in alarm. "Are you alright?" He gently clasped her elbow in one of his huge hands to help her find her balance, and let go almost too quickly. Sarah pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked up into his bigger, blue ones.
Her heart did a small flip when she realized she was standing in front of Captain America himself. He seemed massive in person, and she felt like she had to crane her neck to look up at him. When she didn't answer, he spoke again.
"Hi, I'm Steve." He held out his hand for her to shake and he smiled down at her.
"I'm Sarah." She finally squeaked out, putting her tiny hand in his. His hand felt hot on hers, and the heat sparked a bit of excitement in her chest, which she was sure he reciprocated by the look in his eyes. "I'm Peter Parker's cousin."
"I heard," Steve said, not breaking eye contact. "Tony said we were going to be having guests this week." He held her hand a fraction of a second longer than she had expected him to, and he only let go when a voice came from behind them.
"Are you ready to go? Or are you too busy flirting?" Sam appeared behind Steve seemingly out of nowhere. Steve turned an adorable shade of pink.
"How you doin'?" Sam stuck out his hand for Sarah to shake. "I'm his wing man. So can you shoot webs too?" He laughed at his own pun, being a literal wing man.
"Not quite." Sarah chuckled, rocking nervously on her heels.
"What do you do, then?" Sam pressed.
"What makes you think I can do something?"
"Well, you're here, aren't you?" Sam put his hands face up, gesturing to the building as a whole.
Sarah fidgeted in place, painfully aware that Steve still hadn't taken his eyes off her. His gaze felt invasive, like he could see right through her, and her heart picked up it's already quickening pace. "If you can guess, I'll tell you if you're right."
Steve cocked an eyebrow, as if to say, 'challenge accepted', and Sam narrowed his eyes, examining her closely, as if she would have some physical feature that might be telling. After a few seconds, he stepped back.
"We have to run, but we'll be back, and were gonna guess what it is." Sam smirked. "Nice to meet you, Sarah."
Sarah couldn't help but beam a little as Steve gave her a lopsided parting grin and reluctantly followed Sam down the hallway.
As she watched him walk away, he leaned over and whispered something in Sam's ear, until they both disappeared around the corner, and even though they were gone, she felt like her heart my pound out of her chest.
I think I'm going to like it here.
A/N: Thank you for reading!
