Observation

FanGirlForever19: Thank you very much! That was one of my favorite chapters to write!

daydreamer987: You always point out my favorite things, and I appreciate that so much.

So: I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but feel free to message me if you wanna talk about the details of the plot!

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"I'll come get you," he mouthed silently.

"You better," I mouthed in return.

I caught sight of his smile before the door slammed shut.

The city of London spread out before me, buildings old and new wrapped around the banks of the River Thames. I stared out the plane window in wonder, the Irish castle I'd left just two hours before a distant memory. I rested back against my chair, vaguely wondering where Tony's safe house was located.

As it turned out, it was on the River Thames. The safe house was swarming with armed men in suits when we arrived, but all I noticed was the view. I approached the window, hardly noticing the two inch thick glass. A few blocks to my right stood the London Eye, and across from me sat the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben.

"Miss Reynolds?"

I turned to see a blonde man in a suit at attention. A Royal Navy pin gleamed on his lapel. "My name is Commander Cross, Miss Reynolds. Her Majesty assigned me to take care of you in the midst of this crisis."

I nodded my head, not used to being spoken to like an authority figure. "Thank you."

Commander Cross's head nodded shortly. "Allow me to show you to your living quarters." His tone left no room for argument, and I had no reason to not follow. It was at that moment I noticed how elegant the whole place was. It was less of a safe house than it was a penthouse, but what else did I expect from Tony?

We passed at least half a dozen rooms on the long corridor before we reached mine. Just from looking at it, I could tell it was different. The door was thicker and heavier, and the lock (even under the guise of gold plating) seemed heavy duty.

"Door open," Commander Cross requested. The sound of gears churning echoed through the walls, and the door slowly swung open to invite us in. Commander Cross motioned for me to go before him.

"It's good to see you, Eliza," FRIDAY's voice greeted me as I walked in. "Mr. Stark has left a message for you to view whenever you are available."

I nodded dazedly, taking the room in slowly. A king bed with a large canopy and satin coverings was centered on one wall, and opposite of it was a flat screen embedded into the wall. I went over and tapped it, not at all surprised when the Stark Industries logo appeared.

I hummed in appreciation before I continued exploring. A giant bay window on one end of the room gave me a view of the Thames, and a door on the other end lead to a massive bathroom filled with marble, followed suit by a walk in closet. I found myself thinking that if it weren't for the situation at hand, I might've actually been able to enjoy this place.

Commander Cross cleared his throat at the door. "Will this accommodate your needs?"

"Yes," I breathed. "I'll be just fine."

He nodded. "Dinner is at six pm sharp. You are free to be about the safe house, but we ask you do not interfere in our operations to keep you safe."

"Understood," I said. "Thank you."

Commander Cross turned on his heel and walked out, leaving me to sit on my bed and stare out the window. After a moment, I said, "FRIDAY, play Tony's message, please."

"Shall I shut the door first?" the AI replied.

I considered it. "Yes."

"Will do, Eliza."

The moment the door shut, Tony's smirking face popped up on the screen in front of me.

"Hey, Lizzie, I'm glad to know you've made it! I'm sure FRIDAY already sent me the arrival notification on my phone. I hope you like my little bungalow, but don't go messing up anything."

I rolled my eyes, a smile coming onto my face.

Tony's expression turned serious. "Be good, okay? Don't do anything I would do, and stay out of trouble. If you're scared, go to your room. It's the safest place in there. That door? Made of six inch thick titanium. No one's getting in there. I fixed the settings so that it'll open only if you're there. FRIDAY will keep you safe, I promise."

I found myself nodding, even though I knew he couldn't see me. I wondered when he'd made the recording, when he'd found the time to set up my DNA scan at the door. Then I noticed the way Tony's eyes looked glassy, and tears of my own began to well up in my eyes.

"I'll see you on the other side, kid."

The screen went black.

The next day passed slower than I could've ever imagined. The night before had been a restless one, and today didn't look like it was going to be any better. I paced around my room, constantly checking the news for any word on the imminent attack. One hour, two hours, five…they all dragged by in a sea of anxiety and fear. I started to think that NBC used the Breaking News headline for almost anything, because it was the ninth time they'd used it that day before it actually mattered.

"Breaking News, there has been an incursion involving the Avengers in Northern Ireland," Lester Holt announced. I spun around from my position at the bay window, my heart racing. "So far, no injuries have been reported. Their enemy? A.I.M., the former Nazi science division. They have been out of sight for over fifteen years, but have now decided to make their presence known. More details will continue to come in."

Relief flooded my heart, but I stayed on edge. I wanted it confirmed that there were no injuries, not just the lack of report. A vision of James lying on the ground wounded flitted through my mind, but I pushed it aside. I would hear eventually…just not soon enough.

A few more hours passed before any more news came in. Details about the state of the castle ruins. A timeline of the attack. A reporter on sight. Then finally, an interview. My heart warmed when I saw Steve on the screen.

"This was good vs evil, plain and simple," Steve told the reporter. "I'm just glad the danger is gone."

"And are the Avengers okay?" the reporter asked.

Steve nodded firmly, and a sigh left my body. "Everyone's fine- just the usual scrapes. But we'll be okay."

The reporter smiled. "Well, thank you for your time, Captain. The details we've received since the attack continue to flood in-"

I turned the tv off and fell back onto my bed, finally able to relax. My eyes were shut only a second before they flew open again, a smile wide on my face. I would get to see James before I knew it.

I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face. He would come home to me soon.