I HAD to write this idea down!

Enjoy :) (and then review)

Ginny stepped into her house, closing the door softly behind her. She could hear her parents talking in the living room and the sound of the TV. Ginny stepped into the kitchen, tiptoeing past the living room. The newspaper on the table was that day's paper, but Ginny wasn't really sure what she was looking for.

'Maybe, it depends on whether or not you watch the news.'

Ginny flicked through the pages until a large headline caught her eye.

'FUNERAL OF HOWARD AND MARIA STARK'

Ginny knew that the Howard and Maria had died; it had been all over the school the day after it happened. Ginny skimmed through the page until she came to a photo at the bottom, a picture of a young dark haired woman and a large man with a young boy in front of them.

Dark hair, dark eyes.

It was him.

'Maybe, it depends on whether or not you watch the news.'

Ginny read the caption accompanying the picture.

'Howard and Maria Stark with son Tony.'

Anthony Edward Stark.

'Sad story that,' a voice came from behind her, making her jump.

Ginny turned round to see her father stood behind her, a cup of coffee in his hand. 'Poor boy, he's only 18 as well, bad age to lose your parents.'

Ginny turned her eyes back to Tony Stark; it was definitely the same boy that she'd spoken to.

It would explain why he was at Stark Industries that time as well, she realised.

'Who's taking care of the company?' Ginny asked.

Her father turned the page over. 'Him,' he said, pointing at a picture of a strongly built bald man with a beard. 'Obadiah Stane, he's a friend of the Stark's, but there's a rumour going around that Tony Stark could be the CEO of Stark Industries once he turns 21. He's certainly smart enough! Graduated MITsumma cum laude. No easy fete that.'

Ginny shuddered at the picture of the bald man; he freaked her out slightly and turned back to the previous page, with Tony and his parents on it.

'Since when were you so interested?' her father asked, suddenly suspicious.

Ginny shrugged. 'No reason, I just like to know these things.'

Her father raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, simply taking a beer out of the fridge. 'Did you have fun this evening?'

'Yes, I did, thank you.' Ginny replied. She picked up the paper, 'do you mind if I take this?'

Her father shrugged. 'Go ahead. I'm not gonna read it again.'

The next day, Ginny caught a coach with Georgia to Long Island in New York, were they'd been invited to spend a weekend with a friend called Molly Lau and her family.

The coach was packed and hot. It was full of people talking.

Ginny looked out the window at the sky outside, and suddenly a house appeared in front of them, gradually rising up out of the distance.

It was huge. Calling it a mansion wouldn't be enough; this house took it to the next level.

The coach, which had been full of about 90 people talking, suddenly went quiet.

Ginny craned her neck round. Everyone had now started whispering and pointing at the house.

'Who lives there?' Ginny asked Georgia.

'That's where the Stark's lived,' Georgia whispered.

Just then, the engine spluttered and the coach stopped moving.

The coach driver slapped the wheel in frustration. With the air conditioning unit not giving out the cool air (which there hadn't been much of to start with) the coach got hotter and hotter until it became unbearable and the passengers stepped off muttering.

Ginny and Georgia followed them off, the sun bearing down on them. Ginny straightened her skirt and pulled her sunglasses on.

The driver opened the engine cover and thick, black smoke billowed out in large gusts.

The driver swore as he waved the smoke away.

'The engine in completely gone,' he said. 'I'll have to call for help from somewhere.'

All eyes turned to the house, which was now about half a mile in the distance.

The driver sighed, 'I've got no other choice, I'll have to go see if anyone's home.'

He tugged off his jacket, grabbed his ID and hat, and started off in the direction of the house.

Ginny watched him go, and a sudden urge to see Tony again filled her.

'Wait!' she called. The driver turned round and suddenly all eyes were on her. 'I'll come too,' Ginny said hesitantly. 'Tony Stark knows me.'

'What?' Georgia said, staring at her. 'Since when has he known you?'

'Since that field trip to Stark Industries last year,' Ginny said. 'I got lost and he showed me the way back, then I saw him again at that bar yesterday.'

Georgia gaped at her friend, but Ginny simply looked the driver straight in the eyes.

'Well…' the driver said, swallowing. 'If you wouldn't object to going on your own, because legally I'm not supposed to leave the coach unattended.'

Ginny straightened her sunglasses. 'That's fine,' she said. 'I'll be back with help.'

Georgia stared at her and Ginny, butterflies in her stomach, walked past everyone towards the house.

The air was hotter outside than it had been on the coach and by the time Ginny finally arrived at the gates of the house, she was fairly certain that she had a red nose.

Ginny consulted the large black gates barring her way. There was a keypad on the post next to it and an intercom button. Ginny pressed it and a man's voice answered. 'Stark residence, can I help you?'

Ginny swallowed. 'Um, yes. My name is Virginia Potts, I was on a coach further up the road but it's broken down, the engine is ruined. I was wondering if anyone could help. Or if I could borrow a phone'

'Why isn't the driver of this coach asking for assistance?'

'He isn't allowed to leave the coach, and I volunteered because… I know Tony Stark.'

'You do?'

'Yes, I've met him twice.'

There was a pause, during which Ginny considered running away. And then a smaller door next to the gate buzzed and the man's voice spoke again.

'Come on through.'

Ginny stepped through the door and into the foyer of the house. A large grand staircase circled the room and there was a piano in a corner under a large window.

An old man wearing a black suit and a kind expression appeared in front of her and shook her hand.

'My name is Edwin Jarvis; I'm the Stark's butler. Wait here, I'll fetch Master Tony for you, unfortunately I don't have the Stark genius when it comes to fixing things.'

Ginny smiled gratefully. 'Thank you,' she said. 'I appreciate it.'

The old butler moved away and Ginny studied the foyer, it was about the same size as a football pitch cut in half.

Ginny stepped over to the piano and ran her fingers over the keys. There was some music on the stand and Ginny looked around her before sitting down on the piano stool and playing through the piece. She didn't recognise it but it sounded good. She was so absorbed in the music that she didn't hear the footfalls behind her.

Once she'd finished the piece, a voice from behind her said: 'That sounded good.'

Ginny sprang up off the piano stool and turned to face Tony Stark.

His dark hair was mussed up around his face and his brown eyes were like liquid reflected in the light streaming through the window. He was wearing a baggy t-shirt and jeans that were oil stained.

'Hey,' Ginny said softly.

'Hey,' Tony said smiling, 'miss me already huh?'

Ginny laughed and looked down at her shoes.

'I'm guessing you worked out who I was then, Jarvis said you knew who I was.'

Ginny nodded, 'I saw your picture in the paper.'

Tony sighed, 'they still not leaving me alone? What can I help you with then?'

'The coach broke down; I was wondering if you could… if I could borrow a phone.'

Tony grinned, 'you said "you could" first.'

'I didn't mean…'

'No, you did. And yes, I could fix the coach. Do you know what's wrong with it?'

Ginny looked at him, shocked. 'Yes… the engine has blown.'

Tony rubbed his hands together. 'I love engines, follow me.'

Ginny, feeling slightly confused, turned and followed Tony down a second set of stairs hidden underneath the spiralling version.

The room underneath was just as large as the foyer and it was filled with… garbage! At least that's what it looked like to Ginny. Metal parts that twisted and straightened covered the room. 3 vintage cars lined the wall; strange lit up screens were everywhere.

Tony seemed to be in his element. He grabbed a bag from under a messy desk and began piling things into it. Ginny stared until she felt a nudge on her shoulder, turning round; she jumped backwards almost immediately when she saw the large pincer reaching for her.

Tony looked up. 'Oh, that's just Dummy; you don't need to worry about him.'

Ginny stared; the pincer was attached to a metal tube that in turn was attached to a large base.

'Dummy?'

Tony straightened up and investigated the contents of his bag. 'Yeah, that's my nickname for him anyway. He's a robot; I made him for my robotics course at MIT.'

Dummy moved his pincher down to her hand, causing Ginny to step back again.

'He's just trying to shake your hand,' Tony said, pulling the bag onto his back.

Ginny hesitantly held one of Dummy's pinchers and nearly got her arm shook off by the enthusiastic robot.

'Nice to meet you, Dummy,' she said, feeling idiotic.

'Right,' Tony said, hitting Dummy affectionately (at least that's what it looked like to Ginny) on the head (if it was his head) and taking her arm. 'Let's go.'

When they reached the coach again (on the journey Tony had been describing everything that Dummy has done wrong, causing Ginny to laugh) it was still hot, and everyone automatically stared at him as Ginny giggled when Tony described how Dummy had once covered his father in foam.

The engine had stopped spewing out black smoke and the driver looked up at Ginny and Tony as they approached.

'Tony Stark, hi,' the driver said, clearly awed.

'Hi,' Tony said, 'I would shake your hand, but it's covered it oil.'

Ginny quickly checked her arm where he'd taken it. There was a large black mark.

Tony grinned. 'Sorry Ginny.'

Tony flicked open the catch on the engine and pulled a screwdriver out from his bag. He unscrewed the engine and took it out, turning it over in his hands. Clearly not satisfied, he put it down on the ground beside him and pulled another engine out of his bag. How it had fit in there was beyond Ginny, but it had got in there somehow and now Tony was screwing it back into the place where the old engine had been only moments before.

'Try it now,' Tony said to the coach driver, who stared for a moment before stepping back onto the coach and trying the keys.

The coach roared to life and spewed smoke out of the exhaust before settling down. Many of the passengers applauded.

Tony grinned at Ginny as everyone else got back onto the coach, Georgia still looking stunned. Tony waited until everyone else had got back on and then took a pen out of his pocket and (taking Ginny's hand) wrote a number on the back of her hand.

'In case you ever need anymore help,' he said, smiling.

Ginny examined her hand and then smiled at Tony. 'Thank you,' she said softly.

Tony grinned and helped her onto the step of the coach.

'You're very welcome, Ginny.'

Tony waved as the coach sped off again, and Ginny waved back until he was out of sight.