I know some of you might have hoped for a scene with Tony and the Giles, but I just couldn't think of one.
Chapter 6: New York
*****England*****
After Stark and Rupert left Quentin, he got on the phone to see if the Council had any leverage when it came to muzzling the American billionaire. Every answer was a variation of the same thing.
"Tony Stark? Stay away from him!"
"Stark is crazy. Don't piss him off."
"The man's ego is as big as his bank account, so there's no convincing he's wrong."
"He has more energy than a slayer, and you don't want him focusing on you!"
Disgusted, Quentin hung up the phone. His secretary buzzed his phone. "Sir, Roger Wyndam-Pryce is here to see you."
"Send him in," Quentin said.
A senior member of the council, Roger could always be counted on to support Quentin. "Hello, Quentin," Roger said. "I heard Rupert was in town. Is everything well in the Colonies?"
"Yes, have a sit, Roger. I have much to tell you," Quentin said. He filled him in on his encounter with Tony Stark.
"The Iron Man is becoming involved in Sunnydale? That is not good, Quentin," Roger said. "The man knows nothing of discretion."
"Yes, let's hope that Rupert's parents will put some fear into him," Quentin said. "We cannot afford to have that man getting into our business."
"Paying a salary to the slayer is not very significant," Roger said. "It will make some of the progressives happy. Even my own son has suggested it."
"How is Wesley doing? You know he is next in line to receive a slayer. If Buffy or Faith get killed, he will be sent to the colony," Quentin said.
"He is well. He finished his third graduate degree in ancient languages," Roger said. "I will make sure he is ready for such a commitment. Surely, the next slayer will not be another unruly American."
"Let's hope not," Quentin said. He didn't bother mentioning that being a Watcher of the active slayer was exceedingly dangerous. Rupert had been nearly killed a dozen times, and it was only due to the slayer's ingenuity and allies that the man remained breathing. Of course, he'd never admit such a thing.
*****Two Weeks Later*****
Joyce couldn't take watching her daughter wander listlessly around the house like a ghost. After speaking to Giles, she called Buffy downstairs.
"Honey, I spoke to Giles. He said that the new slayer, Faith, is going to arrive with her Watcher tomorrow. He and I agree that it would be good for you to get out of town for a while—go join your friends in New York," she said. It had been decided by the adults that having a new slayer in town for the summer would help ease Buffy's burden. Tony worked to make sure it happened.
Buffy wasn't sure what to think or feel, but she nodded. "Okay," she said. "I've never been to New York. That will be fun."
Joyce smiled. "Great. So go pack your bag—don't forget a swimsuit," Joyce said.
"I will," Buffy said, gifting her mother with a rare smile. A change of scenery had to help because she felt like she was in a fog. Getting some space and perspective could only help.
Two hours later, the car Tony sent arrived. She said goodbye to her mom and got into the car. As the car drove out of Sunnydale, she could feel the tension leave. She probably should've stayed until the new slayer arrived and show her the lay of the land. However, she just didn't feel like herself, and she didn't think it was a good idea to meet the new slayer feeling the way she was feeling. Faith getting an unbiased view of the place was probably not a bad thing. Buffy had left the girl a note. Her mother was having Faith and Faith's watcher for dinner the next day.
Tony had bought the old mansion that Angel crashed at as it was big enough for him and on the edge of the city. He had hired people to renovate it, and they weren't done. However, he insisted that Faith and her watcher make use of the place as it was habitable. Buffy wasn't sure how she felt about people living where Angel used to live. All she knew was that she wasn't ready to face the place without him.
Several hours later, she was in New York City, surrounded by her friends.
"I can't believe you're here!" Willow squealed. Oz, Xander, and Cordy had come with Tony to the airport to meet her.
"I was glad to get out of Sunnydale," Buffy said. "I felt a little bad leaving before the new slayer gets there."
"Your mom's there to show them around," Willow reminded her.
"Yea, I know," Buffy said. "Hopefully, by the time I get back, she'll feel comfortable there."
"Wait 'til you see Tony's tower, Buffy," Willow said. "It's running on clean energy."
"Very cool," Oz said, finally speaking.
"I prefer the limo he lets us ride in," Xander lounging back.
"Well, if you become a billionaire one day, you can have one of your own," Tony said.
"Or he could become a limo driver," Cordelia said with a smirk.
"That's an idea," Xander said with a happy grin. "Or I can do what Happy does. He's your head of security, right?"
"That's his official title," Tony said.
"Happy, how much do you get paid?" Xander asked their driver.
"Not enough," Happy called back.
Tony grinned. "He gets paid three times more than any other head of security in New York," Tony said.
"That's a lot," Oz said.
"Yes, but the cost of living is so high in New York," Willow said.
"I will add head of security to my list of possible careers," Xander said with a smirk.
"Well, we won't find you a job like that in Sunnydale," Cordelia said. "You'll have to come with me Los Angeles if I get into UCLA."
Xander was surprised she referenced them having a future but gave her a happy look.
Willow frowned, not liking the idea of Xander not being in the same place as she. Oz could sense her anxiety and reached for her hand.
"What's the plan?" Xander asked, looking around at the group.
"Tomorrow, we're going to go shopping with mom," Willow said. "She said we can each pick out two new outfits."
"And with matching shoes and accessories. Best of all, she didn't give us a spending limit," Cordelia said happily.
"Nice," Buffy said with a grin.
"She'll take you to the shops we already have accounts set up at," Tony said.
"As long as it's not old-people stores," Cordelia said with a grin.
Buffy looked at Tony to see if he was offended by Cordelia's comment, but he wasn't. Instead, he laughed. "If you were ten years older. . ." he let the words trail off and winked at her.
Cordelia snorted. "Like I'd put up with a man-child like you," she said.
"Cordy, we talked about this," Xander said. "Insulting the hand that feeds us gives me nightmares."
Tony adored this brassy girl. She joined them ten days ago, and the banter between the three of them with an occasional rare zinger from Oz kept him amused. Rarely did grown adults keep his attention for long, but these kids never bored him.
After an evening of entertaining Buffy and getting her to laugh again, the kids settled in for the night.
Pepper was taking off her earrings while Tony was looking at something on his tablet. He looked up. "So I'm seriously loving these kids," he said with a sad sigh.
"That's good," she said. Tony had a short attention span, and she was pleased that he wasn't bored with them already. "I was worried that you'd start feeling trapped with our commitment for the summer. They're a lot of work."
"That's the thing, Pepper—I don't feel that way at all," he said, a note of wonder in his voice. "They're so funny and intelligent. They inspire me, and I don't want them to ever leave us. I have a year to get them all in New York permanently."
Pepper turned and smiled. "I really like seeing this nurturing side of you," she said.
"Really?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. She walked over and climbed into his lap, straddling him.
"Yes," she said, kissing him. "Thank you."
"For what? You can kiss me anytime. Anywhere," he said, giving her a wink.
"Thank you for being the man I knew you could be. Thank you for helping me draw Willow close," she said.
"It's been my pleasure," he said honestly. "I didn't know I'd like teenagers so much."
"How could you not know when you're so much like them?" she teased.
"Ha! Ha!" he said. "I just want to help them all—especially Buffy."
"We should just focus on the summer with the kids, and you can try to reach Buffy," Pepper suggested.
"Me? Why me? You're the one that knows about feelings and stuff," he said.
"I'm not the one that's ever had to kill someone I love," Pepper said, reminding him about his former CEO, who tried to kill him and take his company. The man had been an uncle to Tony—his only family besides her and Tony. He had also been the last real connection to Tony's dad. Tony didn't talk about it much, but she knew the betrayal still hurt.
"Oh," Tony said with a grimace. "You know thinking about him is a real mood killer."
She began unbuttoning his shirt, trailing kisses down his chest. "I have every confidence that you can get back in the mood," she said.
"You are a woman of many talents," he said, letting her pleasantly distract him.
******The Next Day******
It was nearly lunch time when they got out for their day of shopping. Pepper insisted they begin with the guys as she knew the male gender would quickly lose interest in shopping. As Tony loved dining at expensive restaurants, she wanted them to have a suit and tie. They were game but had one requirement.
"I need food if we're going to be dressed like Ken dolls," Xander said.
"Ken doll? Thinking highly of yourself this morning, huh?" Cordelia said with a grin.
Xander put his arm around her waist. "Well, since I'm with the hottest of Barbies, it's only fitting," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Charmed, Cordelia giggled. "Okay, good answer," she replied.
One good thing about Cordelia's stay with them was Willow had mellowed and didn't have the same level of burning dislike for her. Instead of rolling her eyes at their by-play, she smiled.
Buffy grabbed her arm to stop her as the rest climbed into the limo. "What's this? You're not giving Cordy the glare of death?" she asked.
"I think she might be growing on me," Willow admitted sheepishly.
"What? Have you been body-snatched?" Buffy asked with widened eyes.
"No," Willow said. "But I think I'm beginning to understand her."
"Understand Cordelia Chase? No, Willow—that way leads to madness!" Buffy said dramatically.
Willow laughed and climbed into the limo next to Oz.
"So is this what you guys have been doing all summer? Riding around in limos, pretending to be one of the rich and famous?" Buffy asked.
"Yep," Xander said with a grin. "A few times, Tony's been with us, and reporters snapped our photos. Each time, Tony's asked about us, he gives them a new outlandish lie."
"It's been fun watching them try to publish it and then get corrected, or they'll retract it," Willow said.
"Harmony called me, green with envy when she saw a photo of us with Tony and Pepper," Cordelia said with a smug smile.
"So are you telling people that Pepper's your mom?" Buffy asked Willow.
"I spoke to Willow's parents, and they realized that it's not practical to keep it a secret for long," Pepper said. "I released a statement two days ago explaining who Willow was and why Tony is being photographed with teenagers in two different states."
"Yes, rumors of him being a sexual deviant were very disturbing," Xander said with a shudder.
"Not cool," Oz agreed.
"Of course, there was the story that we were all his love children by four different baby-mamas," Cordelia said with a snort.
Buffy shook her head. "It's crazy," she remarked. Tony Stark was such a big deal, and his life was somehow entwined with theirs.
"But it's been fun. I wish you could've been there with us in Malibu," Willow said. "Tony's got these really cool robots that helps him in his lab. They're very smart."
"We're here," Happy said, stopping the car in front of café Pepper wanted to go to. It was not a place Tony frequented, so there wasn't a bevy of reporters waiting for them.
They managed to enjoy a nice lunch, telling Buffy funny stories. As she listened and laughed, she felt the weight of her destiny grow lighter, and the memory of killing Angel faded a bit more.
After lunch, Happy drove them to a nearby clothing store for men, and the fun began. The girls thoroughly enjoyed dressing the boys in various outfits. Pepper sat back, sipping a latte and going through emails on her tablet. She smiled at some of the outfits the girls put the boys in. Occasionally, she would snap a photo and send it to Tony. Tony was game for a lot of things, but shopping for clothes with teenagers wasn't one of them.
He did have a plan, though, to take them to the electronic store before too long. That was his kind of place.
When they finally let the boys pick a suit, everyone was happy with the results. Oz went with classic black while Xander's was a charcoal gray.
"Now, it's time to get us a dress to match how hot our guys look," Cordelia said, admiring Xander.
Buffy felt a pain of sorrow as she realized that Angel wasn't there getting dressed up with them. They were all going to have fun with their boyfriends, but Buffy was all alone. Her enthusiasm for the shopping trip began to wane.
However, she kept her friends from noticing by keeping a smile on her face as they traveled to the next store. She managed to pick a new dress and matching shoes, but her heart wasn't in it.
Pepper, always sensitive to moods of others, could see that Buffy was no longer enjoying herself.
"Hey, since it took so long to get the formal ware, why don't we pick casual ware tomorrow?" she suggested. "We can go visit some tourist sites Buffy hasn't had a chance to see."
"Another day of shopping? Great idea!" Cordelia said excitedly.
"So is there some place we're going to go to wear our new fancy duds?" Willow asked Pepper.
"There is a pre-Expo gala this week, and Tony wants you all to come," Pepper said.
Willow's eyes lit up wide with excitement. "The science expo is the coolest thing! I've always wanted to go to it!" she said.
Oz gave a nod of agreement.
"Now, you will get to go to the fancy party, and all the cool science stuff," Xander said with a grin.
Willow couldn't believe how much her world had changed since meeting Pepper. The summer was the best time in her life and sharing it with her two best friends and Oz just made everything even better.
When they climbed into the elevator to go to their floor in Tony's giant tower, they were carrying their packages.
Tony greeted them. "I see the shopping expedition was a success," he said, seeing their packages.
"We got fancy clothes, so we won't embarrass you at the party tomorrow," Xander said.
"I don't get embarrassed," Tony said.
"Well, Cordelia does, and she said I can't embarrass her in front of your legion of fans," Xander said, grinning.
"A smart man keeps his girlfriend happy," Tony said, pulling Pepper close for a kiss.
"Let's go put up our stuff," Willow said.
They dispersed to their rooms. "How did it go?" Tony asked Pepper.
"It was fun," Pepper said. "They really enjoyed themselves."
"Yes, the pictures looked like they were having a good time," he said. "How about Buffy? She okay?"
"Not exactly," Pepper said. "Halfway through the first store, she seemed to lose interest. The other kids didn't notice, though."
"JARVIS, send Buffy to my workshop, please," Tony said.
Buffy was hanging up her dress when a voice said, "Buffy, Sir would like you to join him in his workshop."
Buffy looked alarmed as she saw no person. "Willow? Did you hear that? Who's talking?" she asked in alarm. "No one told me Tony had ghosts!"
"That's JARVIS. He's hooked up to pretty much everywhere Tony is," Willow said. "He's a computer program, no ghost."
"Where's Tony's workshop?" Buffy asked.
"It's in the floor below us. It's really cool," Willow said.
"Are you going to come with me?" Buffy said.
"Actually, Sir would like just you to come," JARVIS broke in.
"Okay," Buffy said, looking at Willow.
"Don't worry, Buffy. You'll have fun," Willow said. "Tony just wants to spend time with you like he has all of us."
Buffy felt reassured and followed Willow's direction. However, when she was in the elevator, she discovered she didn't need direction as JARVIS guided her every step of the way. Although it was weird talking to someone she couldn't see, it was oddly comforting, too.
Tony's lab was a workshop of parts and machines. He had suits in various stages.
"Hello," Buffy said, giving him a shy smile.
"Glad you could join me," Tony said. "I wanted to ask your idea for my new suit."
"Me? What do I know about robots and such?" she asked in surprise.
"I don't need you to know about them," Tony said. "I want to talk weapons and strategy. Who knows more than you?"
Buffy was drawn into Tony's world of imagination and design before she knew it. Tony had quite a gift for pulling young minds out of their shell. In another world, he might've been a teacher. Of course, he would never admit such a thing about himself.
After a while, Tony broached the subject of the shopping trip. "So how did you enjoy the shopping trip?" he asked.
"Fine," she said. "You and Pepper are way too generous."
"Well, from what I have learned, you are the only reason Willow has any social life to speak of," Tony said.
"She had Xander and Jesse until I let Jesse get killed by vampires," Buffy said with more than a touch of bitterness.
"You let him die? Didn't you save both Willow and Xander from vampires the night he was taken?" Tony pointed out.
"Yes, but I didn't save Jesse," Buffy said in a small voice.
"I bet firefighters feel that way every time they save four out of five people in a building," Tony said. "The fact that they saved four can easily be eclipsed by the one that died because the flames became too high."
"I suppose," Buffy said.
Tony screwed a breast plate onto his suit. "So why did you stop enjoying the shopping trip today?" he asked, feeling it was the right time.
"I did enjoy it mostly," she said. "But they were all coupled up, and I'm the fifth wheel. It made me miss Angel."
Tony winced. They should've considered that. Then he thought of a boy that he could fix her up with. An idea came to him. He had been recently to Columbia and had given a speech and met some very intelligent undergraduates.
"You know, Buffy, I had to kill someone I once loved and respected more than anyone," he said.
"You mentioned that. Your uncle, right?"
He gave her a more detailed explanation about the ugly events of Obadiah, and she listened with rapt attention.
"That's awful, Tony," she said with sympathy. When he'd mentioned it a few weeks earlier, she didn't feel as much sympathy as she still felt frozen inside. The fact that she felt bad for him was a sign that she was getting better, which was good because she was sick of herself and feeling so unslayer-like. "I'm really sorry that happened to you."
"Me, too," Tony said. "But sometimes bad shit happens, and you got to roll with the punches. Be thankful that you live to fight another day and learn from your mistakes. That's really all you can do."
Buffy nodded. She knew he was right, and what she did had to be done. Was it fate that had her fall in love with the only vampire with a soul? Or was it bad luck? Did Willow restoring his soul right before she had to kill him have to happen, or was it an accident?
"I'd really like to think that things happen for a reason, though," she said. "That there's some grand plan for all this crap we go through."
"Well, I think some things might happen for a reason, but some things just happen because of chance and circumstance," Tony said. "What are the odds that I'd get stuck in a cave with a guy in the Middle East that could devise a way to keep the shrapnel out of my heart? Or that I'd manage to build a suit of metal from scrap with all those guys watching my every move? There has to be a reason for all of it—at least I'd like to think so."
"I think so," Buffy said. "You were meant to be a hero."
Tony felt a warm glow from her words and smiled. "So were you, kid. So were you."
******Chapter End******
I do realize that I am playing fast and loose with the movie timelines. Tony's time facing the Senate was at the beginning of Iron Man 2, but it seemed to follow the events of Iron Man 1 and then a time jump seemed to occur in the movie. That's how I'm interpreting it. Naturally, the date Tony's going to pick for Buffy will COMPLETELY not match the Marvel movie time stamp, but I couldn't resist.