A/N~ Hope you are all enjoying this story. Pleas review it helps me to write better and gives me better ideas of where to go with the story. Please continue to read, and enjoy. ~fierymenace
A Crowd for Breakfast 3
As the older children continue to verbally attack Fury the ladies try to keep their other guests distracted. They asked Dr. Banner, "How are you enjoying the weather in Georgia compared to New York?"
"I'm actually not bothered by the humidity or the insects so much. It reminds me of South America."
They also asked if he and Dr. Allen had recovered from the attack on the Tower. "Was there a great deal of damage done to your Labs? Will you be able to return to work soon?" However before Dr. Banner or Dr. Allen could actually respond Director Fury interrupted.
"By the way ladies, why were you at the Tower?" the director asked, clearly fishing for information, "If I had known that you were there..."
Only to be interrupted by a clearly still angry Kaylie, "What would you have done differently? You said you couldn't countermand the Council's order, so how would things have changed." she asked sharply.
After a pause Fury admitted, "Not that much would have gone differently." Fury stared with one eye, "What did you do while all the fighting was going on, hide behind the back of some SHIELD agent."
Kaillie actually laughed at the older man while glancing significantly at Barton and she said, "Is that what they told you? Men and their egos, both bruised so easily." she continued studying Barton, "No, sir. I'm the one who come up with the idea of the metal pipes, to fight the SHIELD agents who would attack innocent people who have done nothing but help others in one form or another. Than you decide that its not right for everyone to have the technology."
"Now that there is something else out there that might be able to stop you. You decide to try and get control of it, and to hell with the rights of the individual, you know control your own destiny. But you think that no one else can have a difference of opinion to you and your precious Council. Gee... is no one else going to say anything to this nimrod."
All the other kids are hooting and howling with applause for their sister. Bobbie said with amused approval, "No you seem to be doing just great with out our input."
Anthony added with all of the authority of the man of the house, "Mr. Fury, I think that is your cue to leave. I think Mom, and Aunt Clara have said. No thank you in not so many words."
The people from SHIELD left the family's home, after Fury gave a one-eyed glare that everyone ignored the obvious attempt at intimidation. Coulson looked apologetic before he followed his boss into the house. Natasha stared at the little Irena strangely for a moment before she followed behind her superiors. Barton looked the most reluctant to leave. Looking back at the family and Katya with a longing gaze that both Clara and Gabriella recognized. Barton would be back with or without his bosses permission.
Dr.'s Banner and Allen start talking of seeing to the blood, the animals, the sisters and kids. As the Dr.'s started getting set up to draw the animals' blood and keeping the animals calm with the children. Tony and Pepper were still trying to talk to Chris and Jason about having an internship with him and with the doctors in the labs.
Anthony headed back into the house and returned a few minutes later dressed for work, with a kiss to the cheek of both of the older women he headed into the garage to retrieve his car and head to work.
Kailie was keeping the kids calm while Dr. Banner and Dr. Allen were drawing their blood as well as the blood of the medipets. The animals who were extremely patient during the process having had blood drawn almost since birth, they considered it an uncomfortable routine.
Jason and Russ inspired by their discussion with Stark, were talking to the two doctors about working in the labs, as interns for the summer. Dr. Allen thought it was a brilliant idea, Dr. Banner was little more cautious with his approval.
While the doctors where still taking the blood from the bears, Gabriella came in asking if she could speak to them. She was clearly distressed at first, this in itself was so unusual considering how literally unflappable she was during the attack on the Tower that they stopped what they were doing to try to calm her. She started by trying to tell them about the condition that she was born with, ended up babbling and started over.
"It's not that it's bad or hard to live with…" she began. "But with so many concerned for me and my family, I would just like some assurances that our privacy will be maintained, you understand?"
Bruce recognizing a woman who was concerned about her children's safety as well as maintaining her privacy, soothed, "I know that you don't want to share you secret with everyone. So, to gain trust, I want to share a secret of my own. I'm the one that turns into the Hulk."
Gabriella looked at him, "Have you tried to undo whatever you did to cause it?"
"Pretty much since the day it happened, I've been trying to undo it," He chuckles, "You have no idea what its like."
Gabriella look at him. "I have no idea what it is like not to be different. I have been this way for all of my life. Then of course there's having to live with my older relatives and some younger ones, fearing me because of it. While still others are either jealous that it happened to me or hate and blame me because it happened at all."
Bruce smiled understandingly and said, "Look at me, do I look likely to be violent, or green. I think whatever it is that you're hiding, you can't top that."
Several of the children came walking into the lab of the house to see their mother. They knew what she was about to reveal was not talked about outside the family. She said to Yodie and Irena, "Please deti I need your help taking it off. Children, they are going to need your help with the weight of the cloak."
"We can help them with it, if you can tell us what it is?" said Dr. Allen.
"Hay Doc, what you can't see is a cloak of invisibility for lack of better explanation. It can not be seen by adults and according to our older brothers and sister as you age it gets harder and harder to see. So, it is the youngest of us who remove it." Kai`1lie explains to the two adult doctors.
The doctors are staring as the two smallest children completely disappear behind their mother. "This is heavier than I remember." Irena said out loud.
"There are more spindles so be careful." Yodie reminded seriously.
"Spindles are like needles, but they're coated with a poison, that has no antidote." Bobbie explained, "They are hollow easily breakable. That's one of mom's defenses."
They finish removing the cloak to reveal four sets of wings, one set looked just like an angel's wings, a set of dragon wings. There was also a pair that looked like a pair of gargoyle's wings and a set of a dragonfly wings. As the wings ruffled and then settled back into place, with the dragon wings settling over the other sets of wings and over Gabriella's shoulders like an odd leathery cloak.
"So do you think this tops turning huge, green, and violent. In my case violence does not always mean that I get physical with them. Mine is more a mental power instead of being physically violent and normally deadly to people." Gabriella said to them.
Then Pepper and Tony came walking in on the family and doctors. "Oh, my God. What the… Is this for Cosplay? The wings look almost real." Tony said reverently, stepping towards her with his hand outstretched as if to touch the (odd leathery colored cloak). Tony was thrown to the floor by masses of muscle and fur, the three bears had Tony by their paws and not their jaws thankfully, but Tony definitely would have bruises tomorrow if not sooner.
"Hey, I thought you knew not to touch my mom!" Russ said like it was something everyone knew.
Gabriella turned to face Pepper, "Sorry, about that their first protection is to me. Secondary, is to the children. No adults get their protection, except in case of abuse.
Clara came in quickly with Alex and Benjamin bringing up the rear, "I'm sorry, Gabbie, I went to get more tea and came back to an empty patio. Fenris followed their scent down here. I guess the cat is out of the bag, now."
Tony says, "I'm suing!" a loud rumbling growl sounded from around him. "NOTSUING! NOT SUING!" Pepper hitting the bears with her briefcase.
"Pepper that briefcase is not going to get Tony up faster. Besides you have broken the corner of it already." Gabriella says holding out her hand towards the bears. They slowly ease off of Tony's body, "Sorry, but they will leave you with a bruise or two a piece, at least."
"Security…security breach," Tony stage whispered as Taz snuffled at him again before growling long and low at the prone billionaire.
"Really Stark, there's a difference between being invited to dinner and thinking you're allowed full access. Don't you knock?" Tamera said.
Tamarina added with a hint of a bite to her tone, "What do you think would have happened to you if you had walked in on the tigers during a breeding session? Can you say Stark tartar?"
"Your lucky Taz is in a good mood. Usually nosy people end up with no nose…and really no face to speak of for that matter," Jason said with a very toothy grin. Stark swallowed as he saw, the boy sporting fangs.
"Tell me Stark," said Clara and she didn't need fangs, some slightly non-terrified part of Stark's mind thought, "does this whole world transparency thing apply to you as well?" she said as Taz had finally moved off to nuzzle Gabriella's hand gently.
Reaching down to Stark to give him a hand up only she didn't let go once he was back on his feet. Which in one way was a good thing because he wasn't sure if he could stand on his own. As a matter of fact he was listing a little to port to tell the truth.
Suddenly the only thing holding him up was Clara, he looked up at her and said, "What?"
"What you are feeling is my power Mr. Stark." then she shrugged slightly and added, "Well one of them, but you already know that. This one though is called 'Veritas''. Basically you have to tell the truth about your most embarrassing, most humiliating…."
"Clara, this is not our way." Gabriella said softly as she started to put the cloak back on
"I was hoping that, she'd get to leave it off for a little while. It isn't good for her." came a sultry female voice from the wall. " Her wings and back need to be exposed to the air more often."
"Who was that? Where are they exactly?" Tony looked around and was trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. Unknowingly mimicking nearly everyone when they first came in contact with the A.I., Jarvis.
"Don't worry Deary, as a rule I don't bite." She called.
"You have an A.I. What do you call her?" Tony jumped in.
"I'm sorry, but no we don't have an A.I. and she can be discussed some other time. Not right now please!" Gabriella said sharply. "We need to get back to work. As for my back it is getting a little harder to move my back
"What did you want Stark? Asked Clara with more venom than she had shown since the Tower.
"Want?" the genius asked blankly.
"I assume that you and Ms. Potts wanted something or you wouldn't have barged in here for no reason, and without being invited or even knocking first as good manners would dictate." Alex said and there was something in his tone and the look in Benjamins eye as they closed ranks in front of the billionaire that made him keenly aware he was without one of his suits, at this moment.
"Well…B-Bruce does work for my R & D Department and in my labs…" Tony stuttered trying to wedge himself beside Pepper.
"So what that means that there is no doctor patient priviledge to be expected?" this time it was Gabriella who spoke and there was such a look of betrayal to the words that Bruce had to respond.
Tony does no and will not have access to any of your information from my lab. Jarvis and I have already discussed that. Including a lock out feature that will prevent Tony from gaining access to the lab when I am working on anything of a confidential nature." the doctor said soothingly. Blood and tissue samples will be secured in a vault which only Rick and I have the code for. Any attempts to gain access to the vault or the secured information will result in an alarm and security protocols that even his suit couldn't withstand." he added with arrid humor.
"I didn't give Jarvis permission to install those protocols.," Stark squeaked as his imagination ran wild with what Bruce could have come up with.
"Yeah well, Jarvis happens to like me and Dr. Banner fairly well and when I promised to make it impossible for SHIELD to hack, override, or piggyback his systems ever again… Jarvis was actually pretty cooperative with whatever we wanted."
"As long as it didn't have any potential to do you bodily harm, and it doesn't as long as you don't try and invade someone's privacy," said Chris. "Which really considering your anger about them overriding Jarvis I would think you would be a little more respectful of other peoples privacy or does that only apply to you?"
The kids all looked at him with severe disappointment, and Chris, Russ and Jason all looked at one another. With a look only brothers who shared the special bond had, they turned back to Stark and said almost as one, "Sorry, we can't accept your offer."
With that Stark and Pepper are escorted back up to the patio and then to the atrium. Stark was in shock while Pepper was scolding him under her breath, "This is not New York, Tony. Rude behavior is not expected, or tolerated. This is where chivalry and refinement have been retained since the early days of the country. You can't behave as if you own everything or that everyone should tell you, their secrets that aren't yours to know, just because your Tony Stark. Your not a kid anymore. Hell even those kids have better manners than you."
"You say that like it's a good thing. Hell most kids would admire me for what I just did," Tony said in a knowing way.
"Really? What kids? When have you ever been around kids to know anything about how normal kids would react? Most normal kids if you invaded their privacy, like you just did these kids mom, would probably have screamed Stranger Danger! Called their parents or the cops and had you thrown in jail." the redhead told him heatedly.
Pepper also reminded angrily. "Considering its these kids and you've already seen what they can do… you're lucky your bobs and bits are still attached to your nether regions." she said her color heightened as the butler showed them out the front door.
Her face was flushed and Tony Stark thinking about the events at the Tower just last week could imagine what she had just suggested, very easily. He also knew the conversation wasn't over and that he was about to get read the riot act all the way back to New York and a very small part of his very clever brain realized he probably deserved the tongue lashing that was coming and a lot more.
~X~
Meanwhile back in the room that Bruce was using as a lab at the house, e begins making a list of things to do. First he wants to take skin cell samples of all of the wings and also a few from one of her arms. He tries to make the procedure as quick, careful and painless as possible.
He talks to he as he performs the tests. ""Do you know if your wings are actually genetically the same as the wings of a dragonfly? Or are they genetically more like your tissue and they just have the appearance of dragonfly wings?" As he talks, it calms the children and the adults. So much so that the kids head back inside to get ready for the rest of their day at school.
After the children have left for their half day of school, he continues to question her. Rick asked her, "Why do you have so many different wings?"
"The different wings represent the degrees of my ancestors and there is a fifth set of wings, but its not practical to have them on." Gabriella explained quietly. "They are stone and therefore. they don't move. They can repel energy, that includes bullets and missiles. They naturally are in a constant state of change, all of them.
"They haven't ever been examined by people outside of my family. The number of people who has seen them, I can count on my two hands. You can't X-ray them, the dragon wings will stop all rays. I can absorb radiation, when I do I can put it back in the ground as inert matter." Gabriella continues to explain. Relaxing further as her time with the doctors continues she is becoming more relaxed.
Clara comes back in and explains, "I'm about to start lunch. Will you be joining us doctors?" Seeing the pair look at each other, Clara said in a surprisingly warm tone, "I only ask because if you would like to stay, I can probably prepare something special for you. Stuffed pork chops, roasted rosemary potatoes and grilled vegetables."
Bruce and Rick look at each other and she laughingly saw Rick fall to his knees and, "I will worship you my goddess."
Clara merely rolled her eyes as she headed back into the house muttering, "Men."
Rick merely smirks back at Gabriella and Bruce and Bruce rolls his eyes and asks Gabriella, "Can you show me the range of motion on each set of wings, please Ms. Wallace. While Casanova there finds a way up off of his knees,"