Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay!
Chapter 5: Until I Get Home
"Did that just happen?" Clint questioned, watching as Bruce slumped before walking back to his seat. "Because I'm not really sure it did,"
"It did," Natasha confirmed with a slight snort.
"Well I want the techs to look into this breach yesterday," Fury snapped.
"I'm sorry sir," Jarvis' voice came over the speakers again not sounding sorry at all. "But Master Stark gets into SHIELD databases undetected quite often. What makes you believe you will be able to find me, who sir created?"
Fury cursed under his breath.
"You don't seem very worried that Stark is in danger," Steve said sharply looking to the ceiling. "If he created you, why don't you seem a bit more… concerned?"
"You misunderstand Captain," replied Jarvis sounding a bit contrite. "My main protocol is sirs best interest. I am as we speck checking through all documentation and records recently of sirs to find any connection to his disappearance while also scanning the globe for sirs signature. This is why I said SHIELD wouldn't be of use. Their tracking procedures would take far longer then mine at the present time, correct Director?" Toward the end, the snark and sarcasm returned to the AI's voice. "In any case… I have also seen the recent video surveillance of this room and question myself if it is wise to yet remove you from your own situation and allow you near sir, with acceptations for Dr. Banner and possibly Mr. Odinson… and perhaps Barton,"
"Wow Jarvis," Natasha said darkly. "I think that is the most I have ever heard you say in one go."
"I believe that is because you don't know me well enough ma'am," Jarvis said cooly. "Just as you don't know sir,"
Natasha's lips pressed together in a hard line as she looked sharply at the surveillance camera.
"I'm on an exclusive allowed to see Stark list?" Clint asked looking to the camera then. "Why?
"You have yet to do or say anything I find offensive," Jarvis deadpanned. "However, you have had little to say so I cannot judge you."
Clint nodded and a silence swept through the room. Natasha continued her staring contest with the camera while Bruce sat slumped in his chair, rubbing at his face. Fury sat back in his own chair, looking over his team. Steve had a hard look on his face but had taken to staring at the screen as was Clint who was missing his normally blank face, as a thoughtful look had taken its place since Jarvis had 'arrived'.
Thor sat in his own chair, large arms crossed over his equally large chest. He looked between his SHIELD brothers and sister with a slightly confused face. That look changed to a look something akin to determination as he looked to the ceiling.
"What you want us to do is learn, yes?" he started. "You wish for us to know the truth of friend Tony? Even if he himself does not?"
Jarvis remained quiet for a moment and his teammates and the Director all looked at him with faces that conveyed everything from indifference to shock.
"I am to keep sirs best interest at 'heart' if you will Mr. Odinson. Even if that means allowing this to continue. I may be unable to give you information, but I cannot stop you from attaining it from a third party." Even though most of them knew or figured that Jarvis could in fact keep them from watching this if he really wanted too. "It is my belief that it is in sirs best interest you know the truth… The real truth of what lead him to this point in time." There was another pause before Jarvis spoke again, sounding somewhat amused. "So, yes, Mr. Odinson. Master Stark goes along way to keep this information away from other people, even people he is meant to trust. But if there is a group I would like to think he could trust, it is you. Some of you simply need to, as sir would say… Get your head out of your arse,"
Thor smiled and clapped his hands together. "We accept your challenge Jarvis. However you will let us know how your search for friend Tony goes?"
"Of course Mr. Odinson,"
And then Jarvis went quiet again, and the team, with the exception of Bruce, shared a glance before all of them looked at Thor, who was still smiling.
"It is obvious that something is amiss," he said before shrugging. "What have we to lose?"
"Tony," Bruce said suddenly, looking up at all of them. "Tony could be in trouble while we sit here and watch videos so they can feel vindicated in their views of him."
"Ah but that is why we will watch!" Thor exclaimed. "So we will know that these views are false!"
"You two seem really positive that that will happen," Natasha said coldly. "I find Jarvis' word hard to take when it comes to Stark. He will always pick Stark's side."
"Or is it that you just don't want to face he fact that you were wrong?" Bruce questioned, a ghost of a smirk crossing his face.
"Let's just watch the damn movie and we'll find out," Steve forced out.
And the movie started playing again.
Tony and Pepper fell into bed, locked in a heated makeup session. The pulled and tugged at each others cloths needing them desperately to be off. They rolled over and managed to roll off the bed. Tony let out a laugh as the image faded out.
"I didn't need to see or hear that," Natasha practically groaned, rubbing at her eyes.
Fury remained stoic as usual.
Steve looked horrified while Clint had doubled over in his chair with laughter. "Jarvis did that on purpose!" he claimed.
Bruce had simply looked away, not wanting to invade his friend's privacy any more then they already were.
"Ah celebrating the bond of love," Thor said, sounding oddly cheeky, which just sent Clint into more peels of laughter after he added a wolf whistle. It even got a few chuckles from Bruce.
Pepper was laying on the same large bed completely bare except for the sheet draped over her to keep her modest.
Steve blushed and looked away.
"Good morning, Mrs. Stark. It's 7:00 a.m." Jarvis calm voice broke the silence.
Pepper woke with a start, but quickly realized who it was and relaxed back into the mattress for a moment before pulling the sheet around her and getting up from the bed.
"The weather in Malibu is 72 degrees with scattered clouds,"
The windows were shown which were blacked out before the faded to show the sky.
Those who hadn't seen, or at least heard about, Tony's homes were in awe of the technology even the windows possessed. What other sort of tech would they see?
"The surf conditions are fair with waist-to-shoulder high lines. High tide will be at 10:52 a.m."
Pepper walked over to the window and smiled before letting out a small content sigh. The image zoomed out slowly before sweeping over the magnificent mansion sitting on a cliff overlooking the vast, beautiful blue waters or Malibu, California.
"We're going there," Clint said, tone decided, with a nod. "Yup."
There were a few nods around the room.
Tony appeared on the screen working on a hot rod. He fiddled around with a motor, music blaring in the background.
"And I'm driving that," Clint added. "Sometime before I die I will convince him to let me drive it,"
"Give me an exploded view," Tony said slowly.
On one of the many screens, the motor that he was working on appeared. He glanced at it quickly before looking back to his work.
"The compression in cylinder three appears to be low," Jarvis supplied.
"Log that."
Steve and Thor stared blankly at the screen, baffled by the technology Tony possessed in what they believed was garage. They had never seen anything like it.
Pepper appeared at the door one the phone and dressed smartly in a fitted business suit. She quickly typed in a passcode and when she entered, she turned off the blaring music.
"I'm going to try again, right now," she said, trying to assure the person on the other end as she walked over to her husband.
"Please don't turn down my music," Tony said calmly.
"I'll keep you posted," she said into her phone, ignoring Tony. She ended the call and pulled a file from under her arm.
"You," she started, "are supposed to be halfway around the world right now,"
She came to stand behind him with a slight disapproving look on her face. She placed the folder on the bench of the car he was working on and tucked her phone away.
"Mrs. Stark is Stark's secretary?" Steve asked, mixed between shocked and confused.
"More like his PA," Natasha said with a slight nod.
"PA?" Steve asked again.
"Personal Assistant," Bruce supplied, glancing at Natasha.
Natasha scoffed with a roll of her eyes before she turned back to Steve. "Pepper became Stark's PA after catching an accounting mistake made by Stark himself,"
"Stark made a math mistake?!" Clint exclaimed, eyebrows shooting to his hairline.
"Yes," said Fury gruffly.
"Tony caught the mistake himself, but sent it on anyway to see if anyone else would and to see if they would call him on it," Bruce stepped in again. "He promoted Pepper to be his PA because she was the only was to confront him about it,"
"Ever since she was hired, she has proven herself to him time and time again," Fury started, shocking many in the room, thought they managed to contain it. "She became the most trusted person in his life. Which them meant he became very protective of her. We as you know can't get any information on either of them on digital file without it being erased," he finished grumpily. The team could tell there was something more to that story, but they didn't push.
"It just so happened that they fell in love and later got married," Natasha conceded. "But no one would think they would get very far after the media fiasco their relationship caused when it got out,"
Steve nodded slightly, though he was still confused as hell.
Tony looked up at her, a slight smile tugging at his lips as she placed her hands on his shoulders and began to rub. He let out a groan before asking, "Why are you trying the hustle me out of here?" before he turned back to the engine to finish up.
Pepper sighed, "Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago."
A couple people took note of that with a nod. Never expect Tony on time to something he didn't deem important.
"That's funny," Tony said smiling. "I thought with it being my plane and all that it would just wait for me to get there,"
"The man's got a point," Clint defended with a shrug of his shoulders. Natasha glared at him before slugging him in the shoulder. "What?!" he exclaimed. "It's true! What's the point in having your own plane if it left without you?"
"Just because it's yours doesn't mean you can keep people waiting like that," Steve said. "And he promised Colonel Rhodes he wouldn't be late. Stark doesn't keep his word to even his friends."
Pepper huffed before she sat down next to him. "I need to speak to you about a few things before I get you out the door."
"I mean, doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?" Tony continued, wiping the grease off his hands before pulling Pepper closer.
"Larry called," she said, ignoring him even as he was now rubbing at her shoulders. "He's got another buyer for the Jackson Pollock in the wings. Do you want it? Yes or no?"
"Is it a good representation of his spring period?"
"Um, no. The Springs was actually the neighborhood in East Hampton where he lived and worked-"
"So?" Tony shrugged.
Pepper again chose to ignore him, continuing on. "-not 'spring' like the season. I think it's a fair example. I think it's incredibly overpriced."
Tony stared at her for a moment before have gave a quick nod to himself. "I need it. Buy it. Store it."
"Why would Stark need a painting, only to store it?" Captain questioned. "If he isn't going to appreciate it, why get it before someone who will?"
"That's the reason we're watching this Captain," Natasha said. "Stark is a wild card. You can't understand his moves."
He got up and started to walked across the workshop.
"Okay," Pepper said as she got up to follow her husband. "That MIT commencement speech…"
"Is in June," Tony finsihed for her. "Please, don't harangue me about stuff that's way, way, down…"
"Have to when it comes to Stark," Natasha said, and the others wondered how her time working for him really went.
"Well," countered Pepper. "They're haranguing me, so I'm going to say yes."
"Well," Tony copied, picking something up from a table top. "Deflect it and absorb it. Don't transmit it back to me."
"I need you to sign this before you leave."
Tony walked over to her as she held out the document that needed signing. "What are you trying to get rid of me for?" he asked slowly. "Don't want to celebrate your birthday with me?"
"He remembered!?" Clint asked dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "Who would have guessed?"
Bruce raised an eyebrow at him. "It's his wife's birthday," he said. "There are a few dates a husband is bound to remember. Tony doesn't remember things that don't interest him."
Natasha shrugged. "He probably had Jarvis remind him.
Pepper looked up at him as he sighed the paper for her. He looked up at her and smiled. "You remembered?" she asked, voice light.
"Of course!" he said, pulling her closer to him. "Strange right? It's the same day as last year."
Pepper smiled up at him, before resting her head on his shoulder.
"So you want me out. Must mean you have plans."
"I'm allowed to have plans on my birthday."
"Yes, and I'm sure you got yourself something from me right?"
"He doesn't buy her gifts?!" Steve exclaimed. "She buys them herself?"
"Of course. It was very, very nice. And tasteful."
"Good," Tony said smiling. "Because your real present from me has to wait until I get home," he said, smile still in place before he started to walk out of the workshop.
"What?" gasped Pepper before she took off after him.
Bruce laughed. He had spent the last couple of nights with Tony and Pepper. This is something he could see them doing to each other often. They were a very playful couple, and he was glad to count them as friends. Pepper had been just as bold as Tony around him, not hesitating in the slightest and that made him feel lighter then he had in a long time.
Rock music started and a silver car flew past the camera, hurtling down the road, obviously breaking the limit by more then a bit. A black car followed, going just as fast.
They pulled into an air field before stopping at a hanger with a plane. The sliver car arrived first and pulled up to a red strip of concrete. The black car pulled in next to the sliver and both drivers got out.
"You're good!" Tony said happily with a large grin. "I thought I lost you back there!"
"You did, sir," the man said as he moved to the back of the car he was driving. "I had to cut across Mulholland," he explained as he pulled out some bags from the trunk.
"Ahh!" exclaimed Tony, grin still in place. "I got ya. I got ya."
"What's wrong with you?" came Rhodey's annoyed voice. He glowered down at Tony from the top of the stairway to enter the plane.
"What?" Tony asked walking over.
"Three hours," Rhodey scowled.
Tony started climbing the stairs. "Got caught up in… birthday celebrations."
"For three hours you got me standing here."
"Waiting on you now," Tony grinned, walking past Rhodey, and into the plane. "Let's go. Come on."
From inside the plane, Tony's shout could be heard.
"Wheels up! Rock and roll!"