Alright, folks, we're back! Or rather, I'm back, as I have taken a very long hiatus and I am very sorry. But! Lots of funness this chapter!
There was mass chaos. Stephanie had fainted very quietly and efficiently into the dark-eyed man, but it seemed that the moment she did it, everyone wanted to help. Asa had her hands full just deflecting people until she could figure out where they were going to take her. Stephanie needed a bed, as soon as possible. Asa tried to speak over the hubbub, but no one could hear her, and she'd never found yelling to be particularly effective. Fortunately, at that moment, the elevator doors slid open again, and two new people walked in.
"What is happening?" Asa recognized the golden-haired giant as Thor, though she wondered if he was really the god of thunder. His voice was loud and resonant, and everyone paused for a second. It was all Asa needed. She took a step into the center of the room and put on her best stern professional voice.
"Everyone calm down. Stephanie is going to be fine, but she needs rest." Tony opened his mouth; Asa wasn't in the mood to let him talk. "There will be consequences for the next person to speak louder than a whisper." She glared around the room, daring any of them to speak, then nodded decisively. "Miss Potts, is there a bed somewhere that Stephanie could stay in?"
Pepper smiled warmly, just a bit relieved at the sudden calm. Fury just watched Asa approvingly, then after a quick word with Tasha, left.
"Of course. She has a room upstairs. Bruce, do you mind?"
The dark-eyed man, Bruce, smiled.
"Of course not." He shifted his grip and picked her up.
"Thank you. I'll be by in a moment to check on her. For now, just get her lying down and on the off chance she wakes up, make sure she drinks plenty of water." Bruce nodded and carried his charge to the elevator, which opened as he approached.
With one of her patients taken care of, Asa finally turned her attention back to Peter. He hadn't fainted, but he definitely didn't look good.
"Right, you next, Mr. Parker. Miss Potts-"
"Pepper, please."
"Pepper, I think Peter could use some sleep. Is there somewhere…"
Pepper nodded. "Of course. There's a suite next to Bruce's-"
"Nuh-uh." Tony approached, wagging one finger. "That is Rhodey's apartment and you know it."
Pepper tsked and tilted her head. "Tony, Rhodey is hardly ever here-"
"If he's going to stay- which I haven't agreed to yet, by the way- there's an entire floor with no one living on it yet. No need to impose his company on anyone. This is still my house, woman."
Pepper smiled calmly. "Alright. There's three sets of rooms below that, Mr. Parker. You can take your pick."
"Thank you very much, you've been very generous." Asa was almost surprised by his sincere courtesy, so at odds with the attitude he'd sported so far. Pepper turned to Natasha. "Are you two staying?"
Natasha looked Clint over once, then glanced at Asa. Asa nodded. Clint was still recovering, too. Natasha nodded.
"Great. Could you show Mr. Parker to a room on your way?" Natasha nodded again, then put a hand on Clint's shoulder as they turned away. Peter stood, and promptly collapsed back into the chair. Asa rolled her eyes and went to him.
"You're supposed to stay off that leg, remember?"
He crinkled his nose.
"Here, son, I'll give you a hand," Steve offered. Peter smiled ruefully.
"Thanks." Thankfully, Peter was tall enough to lean on Steve without actually having to be carried, and they limped away together.
"Oh, that's precious. Okay, now, can we talk about how you just invited someone I was fighting an hour ago to live in my house?"
Pepper smiled sweetly.
"What have I told you about beating up guests? Dr. Liretto-"
Asa swallowed hard.
"Asa, please."
"Asa, there's an apartment next to Clint and Tasha. Should I send someone somewhere for your things?"
Asa shook her head, bewildered.
"Um, no, I mean, I don't want to impose…"
"Nonsense. We've plenty of room, and if I were you, I'd want to get away from Fury. Unless you already have somewhere else to stay?"
Asa had never been to Manhattan in her life.
"No, I don't. Thank you. There are a few things at my room at S.H.I.E.L.D., some scrubs, a toothbrush, you know."
Pepper smiled again. "Alright, then, no worries. We're a," she looked pointedly at Tony and quoted, "'beacon of hope in the form of self-sustaining energy.' I think we can manage some clothes and a toothbrush."
Tony grumbled and walked to the bar to pour himself a drink. Pepper glanced over her shoulder.
"I think it's Tony's bedtime. JARVIS can help you to your room."
Asa stared in blank confusion.
"Oh, right, of course. JARVIS?"
A new voice, a light tenor with a soft British accent, answered.
"Yes, Miss Potts?"
Asa looked around the room, but it was empty.
"This is Dr. Asalynn Liretto. Could you direct her to her room, please?"
"Of course, Miss Potts."
"JARVIS runs all of Tony's buildings; it stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System." Asa bit back a laugh. Pepper rolled her eyes. "It was one of Tony's earlier attempts at a sense of humor. JARVIS can help you with anything you need."
"Thank you so much, Pepper. Really, you're incredible."
Pepper smiled, a warm smile that lit up her eyes.
"Well, thank you. And you're very welcome."
With JARVIS's help, Asa found her way to Stephanie's room, where she was sleeping soundly. Bruce was nodding off in a chair he'd pulled up next to the bed.
"She'll probably sleep for at least eight hours. You could go get some rest," Asa pointed out.
He shook his head. "It's alright. I'd rather be here when she wakes up."
Asa smiled fondly; she loved it when her patients had people who worried about them.
"Alright, then. Remember, water when she wakes up, and food if she feels up for it. Try to keep her resting, though."
He nodded without looking away from Stephanie.
"Of course. Thank you, Doctor."
Asa shut the door very quietly behind her.
"JARVIS?"
"Yes, Dr. Liretto?"
"Um, just Asa, please. Could you let me know when Stephanie wakes up?"
There was a brief pause. "Of course… Asa."
Asa cocked her head. Could an artificial intelligence sound uncomfortable?
"Is everything alright, JARVIS?"
"Of course… Asa." Again, that hesitation. Then it clicked. If JARVIS was as properly British as he sounded, calling a total stranger by a nickname would be odd.
"Oh! I'm sorry, JARVIS, it's just… I try not to use my last name, and Dr. Asa sounds weird. Would it help if you called me miss?"
She could see him nodding in her mind's eye.
"Thank you, Miss Asa. That is not necessary, but your consideration is appreciated."
"Great. Now, which way to Peter's room?"
Peter proved to be just as asleep as Stephanie, so after asking JARVIS to let her know when he woke up, too, she followed the directions to her own room. By the time she got there, she was so tired that she didn't even remember shutting the door behind her.
It took her a very long time to wake up. No sooner did she realize how comfortable and safe she felt than the now-familiar fear started knotting in her stomach. She rolled over onto her side with a groan and wrapped her arms around her middle. Everything about the bed was soft and silky and fluffy, and for the first time in the past months, she didn't remember her nightmares; but she was fairly certain they involved automatic doors, suture needles, and her own evil twin. She felt sick. She made herself sit up. She didn't actually remember the nightmares, though. That had to be a step in the right direction.
"Good morning, Miss Asa. It is eight a.m., and neither Miss Stephanie or Mr. Parker is awake yet. Do you require anything?"
Oh, right. JARVIS. Stark Tower. Avengers. Work. Peter Parker. She grinned.
"Um, no. Wait, yes. Bathroom? And coffee?"
"There is a bathroom down the stairs and to your right. I believe that Captain Rogers usually makes coffee in the common room upstairs first thing in the morning."
Asa stretched awkwardly and made funny dinosaur-sounding noises.
"Thanks, JARVIS. You're the best." She pushed back the ivory sheets and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. For a long moment, she just sat there, looking around.
She was in a loft. The bed and dresser, both tastefully constructed from dark wood, took up most of the space. A set of open-tread stairs led down into a living space. The wall opposite the bed was entirely windows, with gauzy curtains that Asa instantly loved. She told herself sternly that she was going to have a good day, without thinking about Liretto at all, and got up. She padded down the stairs, glad that they had a railing. The suite was open and airy, with no more furniture than a couch, chair, coffee table, and wall-mounted TV. Tucked under the loft was a small kitchen. It was delightfully cozy, with a real refrigerator and oven, and when Asa flipped the light switch next to the counter, it lit up in artistic shades of amber. She found the bathroom door without too much trouble, and whistled when she walked in. It wasn't large, but it was luxurious- a built-in tub and shower, plenty of shelf space, all in light tiles and woods that shouldn't have gone together but somehow did.
She toyed with the idea of a nice long bath, but decided she was too energetic for that. So after a quick shower, which actually made her feel slightly better, she wrapped a large fluffy towel around herself and set off to look for some clothes. She'd slept in her scrubs, and they were all sweaty and blood-spotted. She checked the dresser, but it was empty.
"Hey, JARVIS?"
"Yes, Miss Asa?"
"Are there some clothes around here somewhere that I could borrow?"
"Miss Potts is on her way here now with some things, and I am in the process of making arrangements to purchase a new wardrobe for you."
Asa's eyes widened. "Oh, no, you don't have to do that! Please don't do that!"
"My apologies, Miss Asa, but Miss Potts was most particular. You will have everything you need by the end of the day."
Asa considered arguing with him, but then remembered that she had no clothes, and decided against it.
"Thanks. Remind me to thank Pepper."
"You are very welcome, Miss Asa."
There was a quiet knock on the door, and Asa practically ran to it. It was Pepper.
"Oh, good, you're up." Asa stood to the side of the door and motioned for her to come in.
"Yeah, look, thanks again. This place is really great. And JARVIS told me about the clothes. You really don't have to do that."
Pepper held out a pile. "I'm not. Stark Industries is. It's really no problem; if anyone's going to have to live here and put up with Tony, the least we can do is make sure that they're comfortable. Here, these are mine, but I think they'll fit for now."
Asa took the clothes- jeans, and a pretty blouse.
"Steve is making breakfast upstairs, if you'd care to join us. We'll wait till everyone is up and about before we make any decisions."
"I will, thanks."
"Great, I'll just let you get changed then."
Once Pepper left, Asa went to the bathroom to change. She felt weird changing in the airy openness of the living room. The clothes fit tolerably well, though the jeans had to be rolled up several times. She rather liked the blouse, which was purple and light and draped nicely. She was almost out the door before she remembered that she had to do her hair. Cursing its length, she went back to the bathroom, found a brush and a clip, and clipped it up on the back of her head. She didn't have any makeup, but there was nothing for it. One last inspection in the full-length mirror on one wall and she was out the door.
Her room was right next to the elevator, and if she remembered correctly, Tasha and Clint were the two doors just down the hall. Although, it was less a hall and more of a large, oval-y looking room that happened to have no furniture. The floor above her housed Stephanie, Steve, and she thought Thor. It was all so confusing. But both Steve and a kitchen were definitely up one floor, so that's where she went.
The layout of this floor was nothing like hers. The entire floor was split into two levels, with the elevator opening on the top of the loft area. A curved balcony straight ahead led to the three rooms, which she had noticed last night were just bedrooms, rather than the apartment-style room she was staying in. She tripped her way down another set of open-tread stairs, then turned back to look at the room under the loft. No floor, being split horizontally in two, should look that big. There was a large kitchen off to one side, then a den sunk into the corner behind the stairs, featuring the largest TV she'd ever seen in her life. There was no table in the kitchen, but there was an island with bar stools. There was also a large, intimidating table set in the open area opposite the loft. Steve, Pepper and Tony were all clustered around the island, though, so that's where Asa went.
It smelled wonderful.
Steve paused in his omelet-making to hand Asa a mug of coffee. She wrapped her hands around it and took a deep breath, then dug around in the fridge until she found some milk. Cream would've been better, but milk would do. And sugar. That was a little harder to find, but Steve seemed to know what she was looking for and opened a cupboard next to the fridge.
Tony and Pepper were bantering easily about flower arrangements, and Tony didn't even give her a hello, so she just hoisted herself onto the counter, drank her coffee, and watched. After a few minutes, Thor crashed down the stairs.
He greeted Asa enthusiastically.
"You are the physician!"
She grinned. "Yeah, that's me. Asa." She held out her hand, and Thor shook it. She had to pull it back, and spent the next few minutes trying to massage some life back into it.
"And I am Thor, son of Odin."
"Pleased to meet you, Thor."
"You allergic to anything, doll?" Steve spoke over his shoulder. Asa shrugged.
"Nah, I'm good. Unless you're putting bee venom in the omelet. In which case, we all have bigger problems." Pepper paused mid-sentence to chuckle, and Thor laughed out loud. Asa grinned. She liked having people around, even if it did make her feel a little irrationally guilty. If she was a little damaged, well, so were they.
"No bee venom, just spinach and onion and maybe some pepper."
"Mm, sounds good."
"Thor, the Pop-tarts are in the cupboard next to the oven."
Thor, who had been ransacking every other cupboard, brightened.
"Ah, thank you, my friend." Thor proceeded to eat an entire box of Pop-tarts while Jane and Asa watched in amusement. Just as Steve was finishing the first batch of omelets, JARVIS interrupted.
"Miss Asa, Miss Stephanie has an elevated pulse and her breathing is becoming more shallow. I believe that she is-"
"Waking up. Right, I'm on it. Thanks, JARVIS."
Asa hopped down from the counter and up the stairs to Stephanie's room. She knocked lightly, but didn't wait for an answer before she walked in.
Stephanie was indeed awake, still bleary-eyed. Bruce had fallen asleep in the chair, one hand laid over Stephanie's. Stephanie looked at in confusion, then up at Asa.
"Oh!" She pulled out her hand hurriedly, and Bruce woke with a start.
"Morning, you two." Asa crossed to the side of the bed, opposite Bruce. "And how do you feel this morning, Stephanie?"
She sat up a little straighter in her bed.
"Better, thanks. I think I was just tired, you know, after everything." She looked down at her hands. Bruce stuck his glasses on and ran a hand through his hair.
"It probably has something to do with the healing. We should look into that. Probably has something to do…" he trailed off. Asa cocked an eyebrow.
"Healing? Was she injured?"
"Well, yeah, I hurt my leg, and I maybe hit my head, too."
Asa pursed her lips. "She was hurt, and nobody told me?" Bruce opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Asa realized how ridiculous that sounded. If Stephanie had been injured, she should've noticed. Bruce shrugged sheepishly.
"The Other Guy healed her. He… has that effect. Just on Stephanie, though."
"The Other Guy?"
Bruce cleared his throat, tried to say something and failed. Stephanie spoke up.
"Do you remember a while ago, when that thing in Manhattan was all over T.V., with the Avengers?"
Asa nodded warily.
"Remember the big green one?"
"Oh, yeah! Wait, really?"
Bruce nodded. "It was a combination of genetic mutation and gamma radiation. I'm not exactly the… safest person to be around when I'm upset."
"Huh." Asa considered that for a moment. She failed to see how gamma radiation could turn a human being into the Hulk; she'd be interested to see what his DNA looked like. She shrugged. "Okay, so you're the Incredible Hulk. What does that have to do with Stephanie?"
He cleared his throat again. "Stephanie seems to have a remarkable effect on me." He smiled wryly. "And the Other Guy. She can control him, communicate with him. We're not sure why yet; we're working on it. The flipside, though, is that direct contact with the Other Guy seems to have a healing effect."
Asa's brow furrowed. "But how does that work?"
Bruce shrugged. "Again, we're not sure. My guess is, when we know how her power works, we'll be able to figure it out. For every action, kind of thing."
That made sense, in a balanced kind of a way. She affected him, he affected her.
"Well, I want to be kept updated. That's the kind of thing I need to know. Well, Stephanie, as far as I can tell, you're fine. Do you think you can eat?"
Stephanie smiled. "Absolutely."
"Great. Steve's making omelets. Shall we?"
So? Thoughts? Feelings? As always, leave me a note! You guys are the best readers in the whole wide world, and I hereby grant you all a virtual cookie. Enjoy.
P.S. If anyone wants to see things like pictures of how I see Stark Tower in my head, let me know. I can put some up on Tumblr or DeviantArt or something. Just in case anyone is as design-curious as I am.