Chapter Nine:

Avenger Tower

Toni squirmed nervously as they rolled through the halls of shield. Every agent seemed to be staring at her and if she hadn't been told that they worked together, she would have been seriously concerned about her safety as most of the looks held anything but warmth. Still, if Pepper thought they were safe, who was she to argue? After all, maybe that was just how agents were.

"Ladies", a voice greeted.

Toni looked up, once again coming face to face with the blonde from earlier. Steve Rogers aka Captain America. She still didn't fully believe what Pepper had told her about becoming friends with the man. How could she have, after all her father put her through regarding him?

"Steve" Pepper greeted.

Toni noticed he was staring at her, so she stared back. When the silence became too much, Toni sighed and nodded, letting out a slight floppy wave in greeting.

"Captain", was all she said in greeting trying to be as indifferent as possible, but the smile that seemed to light up his face at even the smallest greeting had her dumbfounded.

"Ready to go home?" he asked.

Toni thought about that for a moment. True, she had memory of the tower, but from what she had been told, it was nothing like it had been.

"It's technically not home for me", Toni stated as she stared up at the blonde again who looked to be equally deep in thought about her statement. Finally he just shrugged.

"It will be", was all he said back before turning to lead them down the hall.

They were almost to the helicarrier ramp where Happy would be waiting with a car, when two (what Toni guessed to be agents) showed up, but the man standing behind them was who attracted her attention.

"Fury", she greeted, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Nick smiled at her in greeting. No one knew he was her godfather and at this stage in the game, he wasn't going to be telling anyone he was, but that didn't mean he would ignore the bond they shared.

"Toni", he replied, "Doing well?"

Toni snorted. "Oh yeah Fury, just you know…amnesia and de-aging; all that jazz…"

Nick just smirked and Toni returned it, both understanding what the other one was trying to say without using words. They wouldn't let people know this, but the two were actually very close to one another; even if they did have their issues with each other now and again.

"Get going then", he replied as he turned to Steve, "I want an update on any progress you make about her condition. Also, remember to be on guard, we don't know enough about that bounty to relax fully yet. With Ironman out of commission, well…I don't need to tell you Captain how dangerous this situation could become."

"I understand sir", Steve nodded as he turned to the girls listening in on the conversations, unabashed. He cleared his throat as he swept his arm out, gesturing towards the lowered ramp.

"Shall we?"

The three stepped off the helicarrier and Toni wasted no time in looking back at it, trying to see how big it was and what it looked to be made of. When she did, it only took her a mere moment to realize she had to have been the one to design the thing. It practically screamed "Stark Industries".

"Boss!" Happy yelled running forward and embracing her. Toni blinked for a second before hugging him back, smiling. She had forgotten about how touchy-feely Happy could be sometimes, especially when it came to her own well-being.

"I'm alright Happy", she stated as he drew back.

The man looked her over before nodding and stepped back towards the limo. Opening the door, he waited patiently as Steve swept Toni up, protests and all, into his arms and sat her down in the back. Happy shut the door as Toni glared daggers while Steve and Pepper went around to the other side and got in.

"Don't glare at me like that", Steve huffed, "it was quicker."

Toni just rolled her eyes as they started towards the tower.

AVNGRS

Toni didn't know what to expect when they arrived home. She knew changes had been made to the tower, but she couldn't believe just how many. The name STARK was gone and replaced with a large A. The tower itself seemed bigger and broader, not to mention more upgraded. The garage they found themselves in was even bigger than she remembered and at least had five more cars than before.

"Toni, you alright?" Pepper asked, opening the door for her, concerned she was perhaps being overwhelmed by everything.

Toni nodded, realizing they were both staring at her with apprehension. She stood up, a bit shakily at first, before she found her feet and started forward towards the elevator, ignoring the hovering Captain who refused to back off even a foot from her. Stepping inside, she closed her eyes, just enjoying the sensation of a rising elevator before it finally drew to a stop, her stomach fluttering with butterflies at the motion.

When the doors swooshed open, she found herself face to face with the other four avengers, each watching her from where they sat in the family room. Plastering on her usual fake media smile, she greeted them.

"Howdy folks", she replied.

"How are you feeling Woman of Iron?" the one called Thor asked from the right of the room where he sat eating a… poptart?

"Fine Thor, just fine", she replied as she stepped further in, her eyes drawing to Natalie Rushman or in this case, Natasha.

Natasha smiled at her before standing and drawing a chair away from the dining room table. She knew Toni preferred hard backed things rather than a soft couch.

"Thank you", she replied as she sat in the chair, giving her a small nod.

The others watched, a bit stunned. Natasha had done that willingly for Stark?

Nat seemed to sense everyone was gawking at her, so she sent her assassin glare around to each one. They stopped staring after that.

"Toni, would you like a tour?" Pepper asked.

Toni sighed for a second, looking around the room. Honestly she didn't, but she did want to know where everything was in case of emergency. She didn't like to not know things, especially about her own building.

"Alright", she agreed, "but then I want to see the lab."

Pepper grinned. "Alright."

"I will give her the tour", Bruce offered, "I know you have work that needs to be done Pepper."

Pepper nodded, although reluctant. "Okay then Bruce, let me know if she needs anything."

"Better come visit!" Toni yelled.

Pepper nodded and waved lazily behind her head as she entered the elevator and vanished behind its doors.

Now alone in a room of, practically strangers, Toni could feel her anxiety levels rising a bit. Perhaps she should have asked Pepper to stay, but she knew that wouldn't have been fair. Pepper did a lot for her and the company and if she said she had work to do, then Toni didn't doubt she really had work to do. Besides, technically she knew these people, right? So she should be fine. Right..?

Toni followed Bruce through the house. He pointed out the obvious things, like the kitchen, the family bathroom, the formal dining room, and some of the larger places before he moved to the elevator.

"Where we are right now is the Avenger Family area, which is where most of us are located throughout the day. This is the twentieth floor. The basement you obviously know is the garage and then below that", he send indicating a password protected digital pad, "is your lab and my lab."

"I built you a lab?" Toni asked, a bit amazed but not at all surprised. She honestly respected Dr. Banner's work quite a lot.

"Yes, you did", he nodded, "back up here, on the twenty-first floor is my room, the hulk-out room, and just generally all of my things."

"By Hulk out room, you mean where you can let Big Green out?"

Bruce nodded.

"Yeah, you built a room on every floor of the tower for me, just in case of emergencies. Some vary in size, but the one on the family floor, the lab, and my own floor are the biggest and probably sturdiest built."

"I see", Toni replied as she took in what he was telling her, "The twenty-second floor is Thor's floor. The Twenty-third floor is Clint's floor, which attaches to the twenty-fourth floor which is Natasha's floor."

Toni nodded.

"Twenty-fifth floor is Steve's and…"

"Twenty-sixth floor is probably a spare floor."

Bruce blinked at her in response. "How did you…"

"I know myself", she replied with a shrug, "It just seems like something I would do."

"Yes, well you are right. The twenty-sixth floor is a spare floor in case of a guest and the twenty-seventh floor is your personal lab for smaller projects which connects to the twenty-eighth floor where you room. The twenty-ninth floor is the gym and the thirtieth floor are the ranges. A range for Clint and his arrows and also just a few other rangers in case you or one of the others needs to practice target shooting or new weapon upgrades."

"Huh", Toni mumbled as she glanced at the buttons for the last two floors.

"What about thirty-one and thirty-two?"

"Thirty-one is locked. I personally don't know what is in there, but it requires a password as our labs do. Only you know the code though. Floor thirty-two leads us to the roof, where you made a sort of nest for Hawkeye to relax in."

Toni nodded. "Nineteen and down are office levels?"

"Right, offices you use for SI and associates. Your personal office here in the tower is on your personal floor, but the business office you use for meetings and such is on the nineteenth floor."

"Sweet", she said nodding, "Mind if I go see my floor?"

"Of course. Would you like some company?" Bruce asked, not wanting to intrude.

"Actually, would you mind if I went alone?"

Bruce didn't even hesitate to nod. "Yeah, just remember dinner is at six. I will come retrieve you if you don't arrive."

Toni nodded as the man stepped out. She pushed the twenty-eighth floor and waited as the elevator rose. When finally it dinged, she stepped out and into a rather relaxed style living room. A bar was to the left upon entering and a comfy couch in front of a TV and a glass coffee table was center. To the right in front of glass panes were two chairs at a small round table, obviously for when she wanted to sit in hardback chairs which were easier for her to breathe in with the arc reactor.

"Jarvis?" she called.

"Here Ma'am" he replied immediately.

"Good to know J", she replied smiling, "do the Avengers ever come on this floor?"

"Rarely ever Ma'am. Only when they need to wake you. Though usually you are in the labs."

"No surprises there then", Toni laughed, "You have video files of my interactions with the others over the past week before my memories were scrapped, right?"

"Of course Ma'am."

"Good, can you show them? I want to learn just how close I was to the Avengers and also… maybe this will help me learn to deal with each one."

"Yes Ma'am", he replied as Toni took a seat on the couch. Jarvis placed the first file into the drive as Toni made out the face of Thor on the screen.

Thor walked into living room, his face downcast and his body held in such a way that anyone with eyes could see he was pouting. Toni who had just walked in from having been in her lab noticed almost immediately.

"Thor, what's up buddy?" she asked curiously and obviously concerned about the other.

"Lady of Iron, I have run out of the things you call…poptarts", he replied in anguish, "I did not realize just how many I had consumed until there were no more."

Toni stared at him a moment before a laugh spilled from her lips.

Thor was not amused.

"S-Sorry bud, it's just…" she walked over to the closet and vanished behind its door. The closet, as it is technically called was practically a bedroom in terms of length and width. Honestly, it was more like a storage container than a closet, but those titles were merely technicalities.

"Here they are", she called as she grabbed a large box and handed it to him, a broad and highly amused smile on her face.

Thor took it and opened the lid. He stared into it for a moment before suddenly grabbing Toni and sweeping her off her feet, twirling her around in an embrace.

"This is a marvelous gift lady of Iron", he replied smiling like a kid in a candy store, "Is there anything I might bestow upon you for such a gift?"

Toni was silent for a moment in deep thought, still a bit surprised by his sudden physical contact with her.

"Call me Toni, rather than lady of Iron and I will get you as many boxes of poptarts as you want."

Thor's face beamed with pleasure.

"Very well La-Toni. Thank you."

Toni just smiled as she smacked his back playfully, "no problem Thor."

Toni stared at the video, making mental notes.

Thor hugged her…Thor loves poptarts…Thor was told by Toni, to call her Toni after she gave him poptarts.

Therefore conclusion: Thor and Toni are friends.

"Huh", she huffed, "alright, next video J."

Toni groaned as Natasha stood above her on what was obviously the gym rink, smirking down. Toni just glared as she stood up.

"You're going easy on me", Toni growled, fixing her safety helmet.

Nat shrugged. "It was either that or Steve threatened to rip my head off. Last time we fought, he nearly did after I bruised your ribs a bit."

Toni winced at the memory.

"Gee, thanks for being so kind", she stated sarcastically.

Natasha just shook her head, still smiling slyly. The smile made Toni nervous as she went back into fighting stance.

"So did you ask Clint yet?" Toni asked.

Natasha frowned. "Not yet. I… I am a bit… nervous."

"You, the master assassin? Nervous?"

Nat glared at her.

"Sorry, sorry, but I mean…it's not a big deal. Clint obviously likes you and I know you like him. Go for it."

Natasha didn't reply as she socked Toni in the ribs again with her blue boxing gloves. Toni groaned as she collapsed to a knee. Natasha just smirked.

"I think you should focus on the here and now Toni", she replied smiling, "leave my problems to me."

"Evil Woman", Toni growled as she stood back up, but smiled back, "let's go again then."

The two smirked, eyeing one another as they raised their gloves and prepared to fight. It merely took a moment for Natasha to dodge the punch Toni had thrown before she flipped Stark on her back and peered down at her with glee.

"Thanks Toni", she replied devilishly.

Toni just sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Glad to be a stress ball", she joked as she once again stood up.

Toni wasn't sure what to think with this video. She and Natasha had become rather close it seemed. Huh, weird. Still, they were discussing girl troubles and all that. Obviously, the two were much closer than they had been when she was Natalie, her personal assistant. Even then, they had gotten along rather fabulously. Though Toni did have a notion at the time that Natalie wasn't who she had said she was.

The next video began to play.

"Toni!" a voice called.

Toni who had been rocking out to AC/DC turned it down and smiled when Bruce walked in.

"What's up Brucie?" she asked.

Bruce sighed at the nickname.

"You said you were going to assist me on my new project, remember?"

"Oh right", she nodded, "Sorry about that, I forgot."

"I could see that", he replied evenly, taking in her ragged apperance.

"Did you even sleep tonight?"

"Hmm…for a bit."

"How long is a bit?"

"I…"

"Ms. Stark slept exactly seventeen hours ago for fifteen minutes sir. She did not sleep for forty eight hours before then."

Toni glared at the ceiling. "Traitor", she muttered.

Bruce sighed, shaking his head. "Toni…"

"Just stuff it Bruce", she replied.

Toni grinned as she hopped off the stool and made her way towards the man, hanging off his shoulders.

"You're my science bro Bruce, not my mother. Now what seems to be the problem that I needed to help you with?"

"It's…" the video fades out as Bruce goes on to explain.

"I am not at all surprised that he and I are close", Toni replied as Jarvis began the next tape.

Toni was once again rocking out to AC/DC music when an assassin dropped down from the vent. He stayed crouched, swiftly moving up behind her as Toni continued working, oblivious to his presence or at least seemingly so. Staying to the shadows, he was just about to reach out and grab her when Toni raised a finger in the air and pointed it back at him.

"You even try and scare me and you won't get any of your precious arrows I have been slaving away on."

Clint sighed.

"How did you know I was there?" he asked with a pout.

"Oh please", Toni said smiling as she swung herself around on the bench to face him, "You do this almost every other day. Besides, I may or may not have put a silent alarm in the vents."

Clint sighed again and hung his head.

"Take all the fun out of it", he murmured.

Toni just laughed good naturedly, "Fun for you because you are not the one having to replace expensive equipment every time you throw something in fright."

Clint just smirked. "Not my problem"

She glared at him, though her eyes held amusement and maybe just a slight bit of irritation.

"What will I do with you", she grumbled.

The other smirked. "You know you love me"

Toni just scoffed. "Oh yes, birdbrain, love you bunches", she stated sarcastically, but the two shared a friendly look before she shook her head and started back into the project she had been working on as Clint settled down on the couch behind her, attempting to snooze.

The atmosphere had completely relaxed for the better and two just did what they normally did in the company of the other.

"Jarvis", Toni whispered, "Clint and I, are we…"

"Best Friends Ma'am", the AI finished.

Toni sighed in relief as something tugged at her memory, "Good. I guess I could see that. I don't know why but he seems…the most familiar to me."

The AI was silent. Toni shook her head, still a bit confused but nevertheless, accepting of her current circumstances.

"Next one J", she replied, knowing full well this one would be about Rogers. She had to admit, she was the most curious about their relationship compared to all the others.

Captain America threw punch after punch at the punching bag hanging in front of him. The gym was dimly lit and the windows they had lined around the very top of the gym were dark indicating night. His face was red from the workout, but Toni who stood in the doorway just watched him, enjoying the show.

Steve seemed to realize he was being watched as he turned to face the doorway where he noticed Toni standing. He stiffened as she waltzed in, smiling. Two steaming mugs sat in her hands.

"Jarvis said you were up", she replied handing one of the cups over to him, "Coffee. Thought you might be able to use it."

He nodded, taking it. "Thanks."

"No problem", she replied as the two sat down on the bench near the lockers.

"So…" she started, "couldn't sleep?"

He shook his head. "Nightmare."

She nodded. "Me too", she whispered.

He was silent for a moment, glancing at her time and again before deciding to speak.

"Would you…would you like to watch a movie with me?" he asked.

She looked up at him, surprised at the invite, before she nodded.

"Yeah that sounds…sounds great. What movie and what floor?"

"Family floor and… maybe something relaxing?"

"Hmm…" she hummed, "how about… we could watch the sound of music?"

He blinked at her. "What is that?"

She stared at him. "Dude, you still have so much catching up to do."

Steve blushed in embarrassment, but Toni just smiled as the two headed towards the family room. When they arrived, they took a seat on the couch beside one another.

"J, hit it."

The movie began playing and the lights dimmed. Toni wrapped the couch blanket further around herself before glancing at the Captain who had begun watching the movie with mild curiosity. Smiling at the innocent look on his face, she shuffled a bit closer to him. She noted he stiffened just a bit at the close proximity, but didn't pull away when she leaned into him. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her and settled back with her lying against his chest. The two began watching the movie, but it didn't take long before both were asleep, curled around one another and at peace for the night.

"J…" Toni whispered, a deep tingling feeling going through her chest, "Steve and I… are we…"

"Toni" called a voice, breaking her out of her thoughts and interrupting Jarvis before he could answer.

She looked up startled to see Pepper standing there.

"Pep, I thought you had work."

"I did, I have been gone an hour. What are you up to?"

"Just…trying to understand things a bit better", she replied.

Toni glanced at the screen that still showed a paused picture of Toni and Steve.

"Curious?" she asked.

Toni looked up at her. "You know how my dad was with me Pepper. How could I have fallen in love with the very man who made it impossible for Howard and I to ever have that father daughter relationship. How could I be that stupid?"

Pepper frowned.

"I know you don't understand now Toni, but a lot of things happened between you and Steve since the time you met him and now. You both became friends, though I won't lie, it did take you a long time. You didn't want to like him then, just as you don't want to now, but it happened Toni and it was for the best as you were able to work and live together in a more relaxed, friendly manner."

Toni didn't say anything before she sighed and turned once again to face the screen, taking in her own, as well as Steve's peaceful face.

"I need time", she whispered, "I need my memories back."

"Bruce is working on it. He told me to tell you when I started up here that dinner would be ready in about five minutes. Clint's turn to make."

"Clint" she whispered, "What did he make?"

"Pizza, as usual", Pepper said with amusement, "he is addicted, I swear."

Toni smiled.

"We best not keep the team waiting then", she replied, "Pizza time."

The two started towards the elevator, but Toni stopped and turned to look at the screen one more time. Perhaps…she should at least give him a chance.

"Toni, you ready?" Pepper called.

Toni turned back to her, nodding.

"Yeah Pep, let's go", she replied and stepped into the elevator.