Greetings, all. I am still alive and still working on my stories. As usual, you have my deepest apologies for the long wait. I've got so much written in my head, but actually getting it written is a whole other ballgame. It just doesn't flow as well in black and white as it does in my head. I'm hoping to do better about getting it out of my head and posted in a more timely manner. For anyone still interested, here's the next chapter of my Hill/Fury story.
Risks 29
Nick saw the name on his phone and smiled as he answered.
"Hey, son."
"Hey, dad. How's everything going? Are you getting the snow storm they've been forecasting for you?" Kyle asked.
"Got several inches here, so far, but the worst is still moving up the coastline," Nick replied. "But I seriously doubt you called me to talk about the weather. What's up?"
"Actually, I kind of did. Amanda and the girls went to DC several days ago to meet with some representatives about some educational legislation they're working on."
"They've got much worse conditions there," Fury told him.
"Yeah. They're supposed to fly back today. Amanda called the airport to check this morning and they told her everything was good, so they went ahead and checked out of their hotel. By the time they got to the airport, the flight had been delayed, then they canceled it. Of course, now they can't find any available rooms so I was hoping you might know someone in DC who might be able to put them up."
The older man considered for a few moments. "Not anyone that I would trust that much. I may have a way to get them here to New York at least," he told him. "'Can you hold on for a few minutes?"
When he agreed, Nick quickly placed another call. He grinned when he heard the voice on the other end.
"Hey, babe."
"Hey, babe yourself," Maria answered.
"You get everything taken care of?"
"I have. Just dropped off the files and am now heading out to find my driver and head to the airport before the weather gets much worse," she told him.
"Good. I was hoping you might help me out with another matter."
"As soon as I get back," she replied in a teasing tone.
"Promise?"
"As soon as we're alone when I get back."
"I'll hold you to that," he laughed. "But there's something else I need from you. Kyle just called. His wife and girls are stranded at the airport there and I was hoping you might be able to pick them up and bring them back with you."
"Kids?"
"I know, sweetheart. I just hate the thought of them being stuck in the airport for who knows how long. All the hotels in the area are booked and I don't know anyplace to in the area to send them."
"Of course," she agreed. "That's got to be stressful for them." She thought for a moment. "Amanda is his wife and the girls are Ashlee and Aubree, right?"
"Right."
"And one of the girls is deaf?"
"The younger one. Aubree."
"Got it. Just send me the info on where to pick them up. I'll let the driver and the pilot know about the change in plans."
"You don't think it will delay you too long, do you? I don't want you to get stranded there either. I miss you, you know."
"I do. And I miss you, too. And I think we should be fine with the weather. And if we can't make it, we'll figure something out."
"Thanks. I appreciate you. I'll get with Kyle and send you the details," he told her. "I'll see you when you get back."
"Sounds good. See you then." She hung up, tucking her phone away as she headed to the lot to meet her driver.
Nick quickly switched back to his other call.
"Still there, Kyle?"
"Yes, sir."
"I think we have a plan. Maria is also in DC taking care of some business and is just about to head back. She should have time to swing by the airport and pick them up so they can come back with her."
"How? They've shut things down. No flights in or out."
"No commercial flights," his father corrected. "If you recall, we happen to have some resources available that the general public doesn't. If you'll let me know where they are, I'll pass Maria the info and she'll take care of everything. I'll also send them pictures so they'll know who to be on the lookout for."
"I'll get with Amanda and let you know. Thanks, dad. And thank Maria, too. I really appreciate this."
"Not a problem, son," Fury replied.
After several texts to get the right information to all parties involved, Nick pulled up another number and placed a call.
"Darcy Lewis' office," a crisp, efficient voice informed him.
"Fury here," he barked. "Put her on."
"Mr. Fury," Maribel Watkins stated. "Am I to understand that you would like to speak to Ms Lewis?"
"That's what I…" he caught himself. He was in charge of SHIELD and could throw his weight around there, but this wasn't SHIELD. This was Avengers Initiative, Inc. He had supported Darcy for the position and needed to be respectful. Especially since he was calling for a favor.
"My apologies, Mrs Watkins. I would like to speak to Ms Lewis, if she is available at the moment."
He saw the woman smile. "Much better. I'll check with her."
After a few moments, he was transferred to a screen in the younger woman's office.
"Hey! Fast and Furious! What's up?" she asked.
Nick sighed. "You've been hanging around Stark too much."
"Probably, but he's been working on some really awesome tech. Just wait until you see"
"Ms Lewis," Maribel interrupted, giving her a stern look.
"Yes, by all means, tell me about his research."
She slapped a hand over her mouth for a moment. "I think I'm not supposed to talk about that just yet." She looked to her assistant and leaned towards her. "What do I do now?" she whispered loudly.
The other woman replied in kind. "Well, he called you, so you might want to inquire as to why?" Before Darcy could speak, she added. "In a professional manner."
With a nod, she turned back to the monitor. "How may I help you today, Director Fury?"
"Need a favor," he muttered.
"Yeah?"
He cleared his throat. "My daughter in law and granddaughters will be arriving in the city later today and I was wondering about putting them up at the tower. Just for a day or two, until the weather clears up a bit."
"Cool! Mini Furys!"
"If it's a problem, we can find somewhere else."
"No, It's fine with me. But shouldn't you be asking Tony or Pepper? After all, doesn't the Tower belong to them?"
"No," he corrected her, "the Tower is the property of Avengers Initiative and as the CEO of the Initiative, you have the say so over use of all the assets thereof."
"Really?"
"Did you even read your contract?"
"No. Who does that?"
"I did," Fury told her.
"Yeah, but you're in that crazy spy stuff."
"I did as well," Maribel echoed.
"Yeah, but you're...you."
"Can't' argue with that," Fury told the older woman. She smiled in response. "It's okay for them to stay at the tower?"
"Of course," Darcy told him. "My tower is your tower."
"I'll see that rooms are prepared," Maribel told him. "Something near you and Commander Hill?"
"Please," he answered. He filled her in on the details and thanked them before getting back to his work
Maria had informed the driver of the change in plans and sat in the back of the SUV working through files on her laptop while keeping a careful eye on the weather and on the time. A quick check with the pilot had supported her opinion that the detour shouldn't prevent them from being able to beat the storm.
When they arrived at the airport, she took another look at the photo Nck had sent, then headed into the terminal. Reflexively, she looked around the area, automatically noting points of entrance and egress, security precautions, best places to set up a defense or launch an attack, all the while watching for suspicious activity.
Logistics settled, she looked around, studying the people in the area. Some were sitting in chairs, some laid out on the floor, some yelling at the airline personnel, many on cell phones trying to make arrangements.
Finally, she located the trio she was looking for. The woman occupied a chair, the two girls seated on the floor in front of her. Concern showed on her face as she looked around the crowd, then back at the girls. Occasionally, hands would flutter as they talked among themselves.
Maria managed to catch the woman's eye and nodded slightly. She glanced down at her phone, then nodded back. As she made her way through the crowd, the three stood to greet her.
"Mrs. Davis?"
The woman nodded.
"I'm Maria Hill," she told them, carefully signing as she spoke. "I'm here to take you to New York."
The younger girl's face lit up as she signed back, introducing herself and showing Maria her sign name. The other girl responded in kind and their mother finished off the introductions.
"Is this all your luggage?" the agent asked.
When Amanda nodded, she reached for a couple of the bags. Aubree tapped her arm and pointed at the board showing all the canceled flights.
*No flying. How?* she signed.
"I'll explain in the car," Maria told her. "Need to hurry."
*Drive?*
She shook her head and motioned for the others to follow. When they walked out into the bitter cold, the driver was standing by the car door waiting. To most, he appeared to be engrossed in his phone, but Maria knew he was aware of everything around him. He opened the car door for the girls, then popped the trunk and stepped over to help with bags.
"Weather holding?" Maria asked.
"At present."
As everyone got buckled in and the vehicle took off, she quickly checked in with the pilot to update their ETA, then activated the privacy panel between them and the driver.
"I have access to a special plane," she explained, hoping her signing was clear. "It's smaller, more powerful, and better equipped than the ones the airlines fly, so we can fly when they can't."
"Military?" Ashlee asked.
"Sometimes."
Aubree tapped her knee and signed something at her. Maria understood all but one of the signs. She copied it, looking to Ashlee.
"Is that your grandfather?"
She nodded. "That's our sign for Pops."
"Did your Pops teach me to sign?"
Another nod.
"No," Maria told her. "I enjoy learning new languages. I speak several languages and decided a few years ago to try to learn to sign."
They spent the drive chatting about what they had seen and done during their trip, telling her about their favorite things and what they planned to do should they return.
She also continued to keep an eye on the weather, updating the pilot on when they would be arriving at the airstrip. When they pulled up, the quinjet had its engine running and the door opened waiting for them. The luggage was transferred over as Maria got the others settled into their seats, helping the girls get strapped in.
In a very short time, they were airborne. Aubree waved for her attention again, a worried look on her face.
She signed a question to her.
"Yes, you're safe. Our pilot is very skilled and the plane can handle the weather. If I didn't think it was safe, I would have found somewhere for us to stay in DC, because your grandfather would be very upset with me if I put you in danger."
The girl seemed satisfied with her answer and pulled a book from her backpack and started reading.
Maria turned her gaze to find Ashlee watching her. She lifted her eyebrow questioningly.
"My cousin Jake said you're Pops' girlfriend."
"Yes, I suppose I am."
The girl continued to study her.
"Did he say anything else about me?" she asked, then cringed at sounding like a middle schooler.
"He said you've got a wicked 3-point shot."
Maria laughed.
"That's very important to him," Amanda informed her. "His mother, on the other hand…"
The agent tried not to show how interested she was in Veronica's opinion.
"Thinks that you're really good for him. That he's much more centered. More at peace."
"I don't know about that. He can still be pretty intense. But he's certainly good for me."
"I'm glad. We all deserve to have that."
Ashlee was still studying her. Maria raised an eyebrow in question.
'You're dating Pops, but you work for him, too."
"Yes."
"You're allowed to do that?"
"It's not encouraged, but it's not strictly forbidden, either. We're all grownups and are expected to act as such."
"Aunt Ron said that you're keeping things quiet. Are you embarrassed to be dating an older man?"
"Ashlee," her mother rebuked. "That's rude. Besides, you know that your Pops keeps a lot of secrets to keep us safe."
Maria smiled at the girl. "I am most certainly not embarrassed or ashamed of my relationship with your grandfather. He's one of the best things that has ever happened to me."
She watched the girl considering her statement. "Like you said, I work for him. I'm second in command of the organization we work for. It's a position I earned by working long hours, taking on difficult operations, and making decisions other people didn't want to. Doing the dirty work."
Ashlee nodded. "But if people know about your relationship, they'll assume that's why you got the job."
"Exactly. It took me years to earn the respect of some people. Some still do so grudgingly, but they do, because I have authority. And all that could go down the toilet in a heartbeat if people find out about us, even though I had the position long before we started dating."
"Women have to work twice as hard as a man to be considered half as good," the girl mumbled.
"Fortunately, it's not difficult," Maria, Amanda and Ashlee finished in chorus, grinning.
Maria glanced at her pad to check their progress against the weather.
As the quinjet approached the tower, she put her gear in her bag and waved to get the attention of the others.
"We're almost to the place we'll be staying. I need you to understand that you'll probably see and hear some people and some things that may not make sense to you and we can't really explain and you absolutely can't talk about."
Aubree nodded. Ashlee did as well, but rolled her eyes.
Her mother gave her a look. "It's for"
"Our own safety," the girl interrupted. "I know. Pops is a powerful man with powerful enemies. I've got it."
Maria turned to look at her. "Do you really?"
When the girl sighed and nodded, Maria continued.
"If someone threatens to hurt you to keep you from doing something that you know is the right thing to do, how do you respond?"
"I don't worry about it. I can take care of myself."
"And if they threaten your sister?"
"I'll protect her."
"All the time?"
"If I have to."
"And when will you do the things that you planned to do?"
"I guess I don't…"
"So they win."
"I suppose."
"That's why so many of the people we work with have little to no contact with their families."
"So, you don't talk to your family at all?"
"Actually, my situation wasn't that complicated. I didn't have any family to cut off contact with in the first place."
"I'm sorry," the girl told her.
Maria shrugged, then looked up as the pilot turned on the speaker.
"Should be landing in about 15 minutes," he told them. "It looks like we're just ahead of the worst of the weather."
After several minutes, she noticed Aubree staring out the window, eyes wide.
'Too low. Tall buildings,' she signed.
Maria leaned over to point out the tower.
"That's where we'll be staying," she told them. "There's a landing pad on the building and this plane can land like a helicopter."
The girl nodded, but still looked nervous as the quinjet headed straight towards the tall tower. All three of the Davis women let out a sigh of relief when it settled onto the landing pad with only the slightest bump.
Once the ladies had grabbed their bags, they stepped into the tower common area. While the guests looked around, Maria pulled out her phone and called Nick.
"We're at the tower. Are you near?"
"I am," he replied. "Should be there before too long. Was your flight okay? I guess the weather held out for you."
"Yup," she told him, looking out the window where she could see the wind picking up, the snow swirling. "Looks like we made it just in time."
She put a little distance between herself and the others. "You are going to be able to make it, aren't you?" she asked softly.
His chuckle relaxed her. "Yes, I should be there soon. Don't worry. I'm not leaving you alone with the kids."
"Thanks. Nothing personal, but…"
"I know," he replied. "Miss you. See you soon."
"Likewise," she told him, ending the call.
She turned as the pilot came through the landing pad door, his duffle bag over his shoulder.
"Quinjet is all closed up and fastened down," he told her.
She nodded acknowledgement and studied him for a moment. "Are you going to need a place to stay tonight, Davis?" she asked.
"No, ma'am. I've got a buddy who has a place just a few blocks down the road. He said I can hunker down with him for a few days if I need to," he told her.
When she nodded again, he headed towards the elevator.
"Davis," she called. He turned, and she pointed him in a different direction. "Take the service elevator."
"Of course," he told her, then muttered under his breath. "After all, I'm just a lowly servant."
"It's just past the kitchen," she continued, ignoring his comment. "They can fix you up with a cup of coffee for your walk."
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
The elevator he had been headed for dinged and the doors slid open to disgorge Pepper, Darcy, and Maribel. They had their heads together, looking at something on the PA's tablet.
Pepper finally looked up and noticed the others.
"Maria! So glad you made it back," she said with a warm smile.
"Good to be back," Maria replied.
"I'm assuming these are our guests," Darcy asked.
Maria sat down her bags and proceeded with the introductions. When she got to Maribel, she stopped, raising her eyebrow. The other woman tucked her tablet under her arm and spelled and signed her name.
"Nice to meet you," she added. "Welcome."
"I didn't know you sign," Darcy commented.
"Our oldest son is hearing impaired," her assistant explained.
"He here?" Aubree signed excitedly.
"No, he's not. He's all grown up and has his own children," she responded. "He lives in Texas now."
While she was showing the other two women how to sign a greeting, Steve Rogers came out of the kitchen area chewing and swallowing the last of whatever snack he had partaken of.
After another set of introductions, Steve smiled shyly and signed his own "Nice to meet you."
"You sign, too?" Pepper inquired.
"A little," he answered. "But I'm very out of practice. At the home, Bucky and I had a friend who was deaf and dumb."
Before Maria could correct his phrasing, Ashlee stepped towards him, hands on her hips and an angry look on her face.
"What did you just call my sister?"
He gave her a confused look.
"Did you really just call my sister dumb?"
"No…" he stuttered, turning to the others for clarification.
"That term isn't really used anymore," Maria explained to him.
"'Deaf' or 'hearing impaired' is more common," Maribel added.
Aubree looked questioningly at her sister.
"He called you 'dumb'" Ashlee told her.
Maria hurried to clarify. "No B," she fingerspelled, then signed 'stupid'. "He mean B," she spelled again "as in not speaking."
Steve looked horrified at the misunderstanding. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't know that wasn't used anymore."
Ashlee didn't look like she believed him.
"It was a term people used a long time ago," Maria assured her.
"Yes, it was," her mother agreed, "back in my grandparents' day. He hardly looks old enough to have used that."
"Remember what I told you about some things you might see and hear while you're here? Things that we can't explain to you?"
They nodded reluctantly.
"Consider this one of those things. Trust me. Steve Rogers is one of the kindest, most gentlemanly people you will ever meet. He would never deliberately say or do something to hurt someone's feelings."
"She's right," Darcy hastened to his defense. "Steve is most definitely one of the good guys."
"I really am sorry that I hurt you," Steve signed. "Please forgive me."
Aubree looked at him for a moment, then shrugged.
"Okay," she signed back.
"Thank you. And thank you for educating me," he replied.
"Old guy still has things to learn, huh?" a voice commented.
They all turned to see Tony crossing to join them. He stopped next to Pepper and kissed her on the cheek, gently stroking her belly.
"Hey, kiddo," he whispered, a look of awe on his face.
"This is Pepper's husband, Tony," Maria told them, repeating the introductions of the visitors.
He watched her signing, then looked at them.
"Someone's deaf?"
"Duh," Ashlee commented, rolling her eyes.
"Ashlee!," her mother corrected. "That's quite rude."
Tony narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at her, then he shrugged. "She's got a point. Kind of obvious. And since you two responded to verbal comments, it must be you," he said, focusing on Aubree.
He bent over to look her in the eye.
"Born with the loss or did it happen later?"
After a moment, Amanda answered. "Born that way."
"Have you considered a cochlear implant?"
"It's not a good option for her at this time."
He nodded. "She does wear hearing aids though, right?"
"Not your business, Tony," his wife reminded him gently.
"Actually, it kind of is. Electronics and all that."
"But it's pretty personal for her."
He continued to study the girl, then stood. His gaze shifted to a place far distant as his mind went to work.
"I wonder…"
He glanced up at the ceiling and nodded. "That just might work…"
Turning on his heel, he headed quickly back towards the elevator.
"Bye, Tony!" Darcy hollered after him.
He waved without turning back, his mind at work on a project.
"Dinner at 7," his wife reminded him
"Dinner at 11," he mumbled in agreement.
"Seven," she corrected.
He waved again, talking softly to his AI,
"JARVIS," she called. "Can you please remind him?"
"Of course I can."
"WILL you?"
"If you wish."
"I do."
Pepper turned back to the others. "I'm so sorry about Tony. Sometimes he gets so involved in his projects and technology that he doesn't always pay attention to the human part of things."
"Yes, I noticed that," Amanda told her with a smile.
Before she could continue, the elevator doors opened and Nick Fury stepped out. His gaze finally landed on Maria and the guests and he visibly relaxed.
"Pops!" Ashlee called as both girls dashed over to happily greet their grandfather. He knelt down, gathering them both into an embrace.
"How was your trip?" he asked as Maria and Amanda crossed to join them. He watched and listened attentively as they updated him. When they finished, he rose and greeted his daughter in law with a smile and a kiss on the cheek.
Turning to Maria, he smiled gently, then leaned down to capture her lips in a gentle kiss.
"I've missed you," he whispered softly.
"And I've missed you," she replied, returning his kiss.
"Is that all?" Darcy asked with a grin. "She's been gone for days. I expected a more enthusiastic greeting."
"Not in front of the kids," Fury told her.
"Thank you for that," Ashlee commented. "IIt's a little gross when it's your grandfather kissing a girl."
"Gross, huh?" Nick asked, looking at Maria with a questioning gaze,
She winked and reached for him, planting an enthusiastic kiss on his lips as she turned and dipped him slightly.
Darcy clapped her approval. "Much better!"
"Much grosser," his granddaughter disagreed, though she was grinning as she spoke.
"I've had the staff prepare an apartment just across the hallway from yours, Director Fury," Maribel told him. "JARVIS will allow you to set up the access biometrics for the unit."
"Thank you, Mrs Watkins," Nick told her.
"My pleasure. It appears Captain Rogers has your bags, so just let JARVIS or me know if you have any other needs," she told them with a smile. "I'll see you at dinner, if you decide to join us."
Steve, laden with their bags, crossed to join them in the elevator as they headed down to the residential area.
"Who is Jarvis?" Ashlee asked.
Maria looked to Nick, leaving him to decide how much information to give the visitors.
He considered a moment. "JARVIS is an extremely advanced artificial intelligence system that monitors and tracks much of what goes on here in the tower, among many other things."
"Another one of those things you can't really explain or talk about?" she asked Maria.
"Exactly," she replied with a nod.
At their floor, they disembarked from the elevator and headed down the hallway to an open door. Steve put their luggage in the main room, then left. Nick indicated the touch panel outside the door.
"JARVIS. This is Amanda Davis. She and her family will be occupying these quarters for a few days. Please link her biometrics to the necessary functions here."
"Yes, sir."
"Put your hand on the panel there and speak your name. It will allow you to go in and out and to operate systems in the apartment either by touch screen or by voice command."
She studied him a moment, then did so.
"Us, too?" Ashlee asked.
When Amanda hesitated, Maria assured her that she could set limits on their access, she sighed with relief.
"Aubree has been known to sleepwalk, and I don't want her out wandering a strange place."
While Nick escorted his family into the apartment to show them around, Maria excused herself to return to her own rooms, then to the offices.
"Need to get some things caught up," she explained.
"Do we want to join the others for dinner or find something on our own?" he asked, looking around at the others.
"Whatever works best for you," his daughter in law responded.
They all looked to Maria.
"I don't have anything planned," she told them, "so I'm good to join the others upstairs."
While Nick spent some time catching up with his granddaughters, Maria focused on the emails and reports in her inbox. With an eye on the time, she finally found a stopping point and wrapped up before heading back across the hall to the Davis family rooms.
She was greeted warmly by the girls who both grinned when their grandfather pulled her in for a quick kiss, then kept his arm around her as they headed back up to the common area dining room.
At the dinner table, they settled into empty chairs. Maria quickly made introductions between those who hadn't met yet. The girls watched with wide eyes as Steve and Thor piled their plates high.
"Fear not, young maidens. The provisions here are never lacking. You will not lack for sustenance," Thor hastened to reassure them. "I would never allow a lady to do without."
He offered them a platter of rolls.
"These are a particular favorite of mine."
Food was passed around the table and conversation flowed in fits and starts. Those who knew how signed for themselves and took turns interpreting for the others.
Pepper looked at the empty seat next to her and sighed.
"JARVIS?"
"Master Stark is actually on his way, Ms Potts," he replied.
Moments later, Tony exited the elevator and bound into the room. He was almost vibrating with excitement as he approached the table.
After dropping a quick kiss on his wife's cheek, he grabbed his chair and pulled it over to sit next to Aubree.
"I have a present for you," he signed, holding up what looked like a watch. At her confused look, he continued. "I suppose it's actually a loan, because it won't work outside the tower. Though I have some thoughts on remedying that. Hopefully, you can help me work through some of the problems."
"You weren't signing earlier," Ashlee commented, eyes narrowed.
"Just learned," he replied with a shrug. He turned his attention back to her sister. "Left handed or right handed?" he asked.
"Right," she told him.
"Hold out your left arm."
She looked to her mother and received her nod of approval.
When she offered her arm, he quickly strapped the device to it. He quickly tapped the screen twice, then sat back.
Aubree's eyes widened as a holographic figure appeared in the middle of the table.
Tony grinned, then started signing. The hologram started interpreting.
"This is CASSIE: Communication Assistant Sign Speech Interpretive Equipment. I am able to translate sign to speech and…"
Tony stopped signing and started speaking instead. The hologram started signing.
"Speech to sign language."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
"Where did you get that?" Ashlee asked.
"Made it," he told her.
"You made that?" Amanda asked. "This afternoon?"
"Pretty simple," he commented. "Actually it was just a matter of modifying a few programs I've already developed. JARVIS already has a translation program, so I just had to find the right language and tie it in to the holographic projectors and develop an interface."
"Simple as all that," Amanda commented.
Tony shrugged again. "It's what I do."
Ashlee's eyes suddenly widened.
"Oh my…you're Tony Freaking Stark!"
"Anthony Edwin," he corrected. "But I do like 'Freaking'." He looked at Pepper. "Can we put that on the baby name list?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Sure. Why not?"
"Really?" Bruce queried. "You're considering that for a name?"
She grinned. "JARVIS? How many names are currently on the list of possible baby names?"
After a moment, the AI replied. "With the addition of 'Freaking,' there are currently 734 names Master Stark has added to the list."
"My list is a bit smaller," the mom to be explained.
Ashlee turned to her grandfather.
"You never told me you know Tony Stark," she said, accusation in her voice.
"I also never told you I know Carter Monroe," he told her.
"Who's that?"
"Guy that has a little coffee cart on the corner down a few blocks from here. Has this amazing blend with an extra kick."
She looked confused.
"I know a lot of people," he explained.
"Yeah, but TONY STARK, Pops."
"Yeah, Pops," Tony echoed. "It's Tony Stark." He turned his attention to the girl. "Fan of mine?" he asked.
She nodded. "I'm in the STEM program at school and on the robotics team. We've read about a bunch of the old guys who helped to get things started in the field."
"Old guys?" he queried.
"This is so awesome! Everyone is going to be so jealous that I actually got to meet Tony StarK! The guy who…" her voice trailed off as she turned to look at her grandfather.
"Who you can't talk about meeting," he finished for her.
She sighed heavily and nodded her head. "Because then I'd have to explain how that happened, which would be difficult to do without saying that my grandfather is some kind of top secret super spy guy who works with…"
Her eyes widened as she looked around the table before locking eyes with her younger sister.
"The Avengers!" they said/signed in unison.
"Iron Man," Aubree signed, pointing at Stark, CASSIE interpreting. "And Thor."
"Duh," her sister acknowledged. She continued studying the others at the table.
"Black Widow and Hawkeye."
The two nodded.
Her gaze landed on Bruce.
"Captain America?"
"No," her mother corrected, her eyes on Steve. "He's Captain America."
"So…Hulk…"
"When I have to be," Banner admitted.
"How did you know?" Ashlee asked her mom, inclining her head towards Steve.
"I recognize him from a picture my grandfather had."
Rogers looked at her questioningly.
"My grandfather served in the Army back in World War II. His unit was stationed somewhere in Europe. He used to tell stories about how they got to work with the Howling Commandos. He said most of the white units refused to work with the colored ones, but those guys never had a problem with sharing a mess tent or sleeping quarters. Pulled out a picture of his team with them and named off every one of the men, and he'd always finish by pointing out 'Captain America, hisself.'"
Ashlee shook her head. "But that wouldn't have been him. World War II was like a hundred years or so back."
Amanda continued watching the man across from her, noting the pained expression on his face when he replied.
"Almost."
"Another one for the 'don't ask' category?" the woman asked.
"Yeah," her father in law admitted.
Steve took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"What unit was he in?"
"I don't remember. But they were primarily a mechanical support team. HIs name was Clement Roberts, but everyone called him"
"Sparky," Steve jumped in.
She nodded.
"Because if it had an engine, he could get it started."
"That's him."
"Fine bunch of men," he told her. "We spent several weeks in the same area. The front was moving fast enough that there were problems getting equipment in place fast enough. Those guys would take the most broken, burned out hunks of junk from the field and have them purring like brand new Caddies in no time at all."
"He always was good at fixing things."
The Captain gave her a hopeful look. "I don't suppose he's still…"
She shook her head.
"No, I'm sorry. He passed away just after Ashlee was born."
The response was expected, but Steve's disappointment was evident.
"Do you know what happened to the picture?"
"I'm not sure, but I think my grandmother donated a bunch of his military stuff to an African American Military museum."
Maria noted Maribel Watkins pull out her tablet and make a note.
After a few moments of silence, quiet conversations started up again. The two girls peppered Tony with questions about CASSIE, which he answered in depth.
"Maybe after dinner we can go down to my shop and we can work out some of the issues," he told them. "I can really use your feedback to help me make improvements."
"It's getting a bit close to bedtime to be getting started on any big projects," their mother commented.
"Not a problem," Tony assured her. "I don't usually go to bed for hours."
Pepper leaned over. "I think she's talking about Ashlee and Aubree, Tony, not you."
"Oh. Right. A regular sleep routine is important for a kid," he said with a nod, turning to look at her. "See, I have been reading those books you've been leaving around about raising kids."
"But mom," Ashlee argued, "This is like a once in a lifetime opportunity to see where some of the greatest technological advances of our time started. It's an educational opportunity. You wouldn't want to deprive us of educational opportunities, would you?"
"Maybe tomorrow," Stark offered. "You'll still be here tomorrow, right?"
"Probably," Nick agreed. "The forecast shows these conditions continuing for the next 24 hours at least. It will probably be the day after before we can get you on a flight back home."
"Can we, Mom? Please?" the girls pleaded.
"Please, Mom?" Tony added.
After an agreement was reached for the Davis girls to join Tony and Bruce in the lab the next day, talk turned to the weather and other topics of general interest.
On the walk back to their quarters, Maria noticed Ashlee seemed to be deep in thought. She hung back, walking beside the girl while the other three pressed ahead, Aubree signing excitedly to her grandfather.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
She nodded slowly, chewing her lip.
"If you're worried about Tony, don't be. He can be a bit of a self-centered jerk sometimes, but don't let him get to you."
Ashlee shrugged. "I'm taking STEM classes. I'm used to guys talking down to me," she replied. "I'm not afraid to stand up for myself."
"Not a surprise, considering who your grandfather is," Maria answered with a laugh.
When the group arrived at their rooms, Hill settled on the sofa next to the older girl while Nick settled with the younger and a board game they had been playing earlier. Maria waited as the girl watched her grandfather and gathered her thoughts.
Finally, she spoke.
"So…you and Pops live here with the Avengers."
"We do. Sometimes."
"And you're friends."
"Yes."
"And you work with them?"
"Sometimes."
She locked her gaze on the older woman.
"I've seen them on the news. On videos on the internet. Fighting and stuff. And it's kind of scary, you know? Some of the people and groups they're fighting look pretty powerful. Dangerous."
Maria nodded. "Yes, they do face some tough, scary situations. But they're pretty tough, too. They study their opponents, train hard, and have state of the art equipment to help them stay safe."
"And Pops? I've never noticed him in any of the videos, but is he there, too? Does he fight the bad guys with them?"
She thought for a moment, wondering if this was something she should actually be discussing with the girl. She looked over to find Nick and Amanda watching. Nick gave her a nod as Amanda moved closer to listen in on her explanation..
"Sometimes, he does. I'll tell you what I told your aunt recently. He does what he needs to do. He's willing to die if need be, but he's not in any hurry to do so. When he goes into a situation, he has a plan to come through. And a back up plan. And a back up back up plan. And probably even a back up plan for that."
She leaned close. "He wants to make the world a better, safer place, but he wants to see the people who he cares most about enjoy that better, safer place. He's going to do everything in his power to do that."
Ashlee considered, then nodded. "I understand better now about the need to keep his connection to us quiet."
'Good," Maria told her.
"And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"You're there,too. In the fights?"
"Sometimes."
"And do you have plans and back up plans for surviving?"
"I'm not as important," Maria told her matter of factly.
"Of course you are," the girl protested. "You matter to Pops and that means you matter to our family."
Maria sat in stunned silence, never having really thought of herself as a part of a family. As a part of Nick's family.
Nick had finished up the game and sent Aubree off to get ready for bed. He came over and sat next to Maria, wrapping his arms around her.
"She's usually the one who comes up with my back up plans," he told his granddaughter. "She tends to look at everything that could possibly happen and plan accordingly. I just try to make sure she's close enough that I can drag her along if I have to."
"Good," she said with a nod.
Aubree returned shortly, pajamas on and teeth brushed. She settled next to her mother and asked Maria for a bedtime story.
When she confessed that she didn't know any, both girls looked confused.
"Your mom? Dad? No stories?" Aubree signed.
"No," the agent signed back. "No stories. Mom died when I was a baby and my dad was very busy."
"Too busy for stories?"
"Yes."
The girl considered, then grinned.
She grabbed a blanket and put it over Maria's lap, then sat down to face her. "Ok. I will tell you story."
Nick sat, a small smile on his face, as he watched the woman he loved be told her first ever bedtime story.
After an interesting version of Little Red Riding Hood, Maria was invited to follow Nick and Amanda back to her room so that she could learn the proper technique for 'tucking in."
'For your child,' Ashlee signed to her.
Maria felt a tightening in her chest. Her decision not to have children was one that she had made long ago and was completely comfortable with.
Really.
The two spies soon took their leave and headed back to their own rooms, finally enjoying their reunion and making up for lost time.
After, he held her close, watching her fingers tracing the scars on his chest. He could see her mulling over something.
"Everything okay?"
She stretched up to kiss him
"Perfect. I'm with you. We're both healthy and safe."
"My granddaughters have taken to you," he added.
She studied him seriously. "Do you really think so? You don't think they think I'm stupid or something because I don't know about bedtime stories or about tucking them in bed?"
"No," he assured her. "I don't think they do. Kyle and Amanda have both done a lot of work with a lot of diverse groups and have stressed with the girls that different life experiences don't make anyone better or not as good as anyone else."
"They seem like good kids," she told him.
"I may be biased, but I think so," he replied.
The two continued talking quietly, catching up on the day to day details that they had missed sharing over the last few days. Eventually the words trailed off and both drifted off to sleep, content to be together.
The next morning, they got in a couple of hours of work before joining the girls and their mother on the main floor for breakfast. They returned to SHIELD business and Tony excitedly led the visitors into his lab.
He spent the afternoon with the girls, working on adjustments and improvements to CASSIE and brainstormed ideas on ways to increase her functionality.
Dinner was held in Maria's quarters. When she mentioned cooking dinner for the family that evening, Aubree told her that she had been learning to cook and offered to help. The two had planned out a menu and raided the kitchen for ingredients. Nick and Ashlee were delegated the responsibility of dessert, to be assembled in his quarters to keep them out from under the feet of the real chefs, Maria explained to her partner in crime.
The meal was proclaimed 'perfect' and was enjoyed by all.
As they relaxed afterwards, Amanda announced that the airport had reopened and that she had managed to book tickets on a flight home the next morning. She had also arranged for a cab to pick them up.
They cleaned up together, then spent the rest of the evening playing games and talking. At one point, Maria saw the two girls in what appeared to be a very serious conversation with their grandfather, but when she approached, they all went still and silent, their faces the very picture of innocence.
Returning to the Davis rooms, Maria told them a bedtime story that she had had JARVIS look up for her, then tucked Aubree into bed, earning a thumbs up for her performance.
Breakfast the next morning was in the common area again, everyone gathered to say goodbye to the ladies. Tony told Ashlee to be sure to let him know how her next robotics competition went.
Maribel came to the table a bit late, apologizing as she handed a manilla envelope to Steve and another to Amanda. They both opened their eyes widening when they saw what was within.
"Grampa's picture," Amanda whispered, pulling it out almost reverently. She showed it to her girls, pointing out the man.
"And that's you," Ashlee commented, looking at Steve.
He nodded, studying the faces in the photo. He cleared his throat and started naming off the other men in the picture one by one, his Howling Commandos and the men in Sparky's unit.
In the silence that followed, Amanda looked at Maribel.
"Where did you find it?"
"Just a little research. I found your grandfather's information, where he had lived when he passed, a museum in the area that had a collection of artifacts from the Black soldiers of the war, contacted them and asked about a picture. They were able to send me a copy."
"Isn't she amazing?" Darcy commented.
"She is," Amanda agreed, carefully tucking the envelope in her bag.
Choked up, Steve had no words, but nodded his thanks.
When JARVIS announced that the cab was waiting downstairs, everyone walked the family to the elevators, hugs and goodbyes shared.
Nick and Maria rode down with them to where the cab waited in the underground garage. While the driver loaded their bags, Nick picked the girls up and hugged them tightly.
Maria felt Amanda rest a hand on her arm.
"Ronnie is right. You're really good for him. I don't know that I've ever seen him so relaxed and happy."
"He's good for me, too."
To Maria's surprise, both girls came over and hugged her, telling her how much they had enjoyed the visit and that they wanted her and Nick to come see them in Colorado soon.
She was also a bit surprised at the sadness she felt as they watched the cab pull out of the garage and into the traffic flow.
Nick pulled her close and sighed heavily. "I'm gonna miss them."
"Me, too, actually," she admitted.
After a moment, she looked up at him
"So, the three of you seemed to be having a very serious conversation after dinner last night."
"We were," he agreed.
"You want to tell me about it?"
He studied her for a moment.
"They said that they really like you and that their cousin Jake really liked you and that I need to make sure I don't do anything stupid and that I should probably marry you."
Her eyes went wide.
"What did you say to that?"
"That I probably should."
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