AN: Hello! Let's start with... lots of thanks to my Beta MegaDiary123. And another thank you to the people who review as well as the new fan and fol. Without further due...

All rights go to Marvel

Skye's POV

The rest of the day went by pretty simply. I did show Natasha around the Stark computer systems, but not deep enough for her to actually send information regarding the Industries back to S.H.I.E.L.D.. She didn't push in that matter and so we spent the rest of the afternoon in a comfortable silence, which was broken more often than not as we caught up on what had happened in our lives the years that we were apart.

Stark's party would start in the early evening, with him not wanting to waste any time from it. He had not pushed at all about him seeing me using my powers and I had that in the back of my mind. Mostly I was waiting for the topic to come up again, and wanted to be prepared for whenever that would happen. I knew I had successfully deleted every electronic evidence of my presence in the track that day, because come on, there was no-one better than me in hacking. I still had some reservations for any evidence of my face in any printed form, but nothing had appeared so far. So I could only assume that I was fast enough for prints not to have been created before I erased the digital copies.

Pepper had brought me my outfit for the evening. She was kind enough to help me wear it because my shoulder had yet to be healed enough as to not give me any trouble.

"Oh, Skye…" Pepper said when we finished assembling the whole thing, along with a simple silver chain that she borrowed me as a necklace. "You look amazing" she smiled kindly.

"Thanks" I said, rubbing the back of my neck and trying very hard not to blush from her comment. "I have to thank you for that, you were the one to get me the dress" I looked myself at the long mirror in my room. It was a simple, loose and sleeveless dress which almost reached my knees. I was glad to find that I could walk around easily. The fact that the dress was sleeveless allowed the sling that I was wearing to move with no restrain. "You seem to have thought every need that I might have" I laughed a bit and turned my gaze to meet hers.

"Well" she laughed with me and moved to stand behind me and placed both hands on my shoulders as she turned my face to look back in the mirror. "I had a feeling this would be one of the only times that I would get the chance to see you in a dress, so you might as well enjoy it. I'm glad you like it"

"What are you going to wear?" I asked and at that moment she moved a step away and looked at her clock.

"Something similar to yours. It's going to be pretty packed tonight and I want to be able to move around and make sure no-one gets out of line". Though she didn't speak of the name, I knew that she was referring to Stark. "Speaking of which, I really need to go and get ready" she waved a goodbye at me and left me alone in the room.

I looked at my reflection once again in the mirror and took a deep breath. I had a feeling that it was going to be a very long night.

It was not too long before the night turned into a disaster. And let me define the word "disaster" so that you know what I was referring to.

Tony Stark. In his suit. Drunk. Dancing. And blasting items all over the mansion.

People had filled the mansion, and by people I meant, mostly, women of a specific age and type. All of whom were so happy to be witnessing Stark blasting items that they had no idea how dangerous or how bad this could turn out with the slightest mistake. The only positive in this whole situation was that the DJ had a pretty decent music taste and the music was not one more reason for me to lose interest in that party.

I soon found Pepper outside, no drink in her hand, and looking into the nothingness of the sea that the mansion was next to. "I thought that you would be inside, trying to keep Stark in line"

She laughed. A laugh that was clearly dead. "I don't know what to do"

Well, this was a first. No matter how many times Stark had put Pepper into a difficult situation, she always figured a way out. Stark was pushing it too hard and I had no idea what was going on in his mind. The little respect that I had for his inventions was running thin ever since I was employed by him and saw how he treated one of the few people who truly cared for him.

I lifted my hand, were I was holding my phone. I typed a few lines and read the reply that I got from the device. "I think you should go inside. Lt. Colonel Rhodes is approaching the mansion and should arrive any minute now. I believe that together you will manage to put Stark in line" I told her, smirking and making a move to go inside myself.

"How did you–" Pepper started only to see the phone in my hand. She clicked her tongue and stepped next to me, heading back towards the party. "Skye" she sounded disappointed, but the look that she gave me was that of gratitude.

"You're welcome. I'll be in my room if you need anything" I simply replied and headed upstairs.

The moment that I closed the door of my room, all the party sounds seized to exist. I let out a sigh and was mentally thanking Stark for making every room soundproof, as long as the doors were closed.

I took out my laptop and got into the building surveillance cameras, and switching from camera to camera, I was watching what was going on around the house, as if I was watching a reality show. All I needed to make the show even better would be some popcorn and I would be set for at least a few more hours. I started watching what was happening as if it was a silent film and made the dialogues up in my head. It was pretty funny to be honest, especially what I was thinking that Stark's reply would be especially since I knew that he would never say stuff like "I know Pepper. I am an idiot", or "Do you know how much I love you?" I had high hopes for the last part, only because I knew that he was completely drunk.

But, he eventually took the microphone, said something and then send a blast to the wall and shuttered the glass all over, while everyone took cover. I immediately turned the sound on just as the whole room started laughing and a girl through a bottle high in the air for the playboy to blast. And boy he delivered. Bottle after bottle and finally a whole watermelon were blasted.

My eyes were glued on the screen as Stark stumbled and almost fell, before a heavy toned voice interrupted the laughter that was ringing in the room. "I'm gonna say this once" I switched cameras only to see Lt. Colonel in an Iron Man suit, with his serious face on. "Get out" he continued and the crowd started immediately dispersing.

This would be a good time for me to go with the crowd.

Despite the room being soundproof, I can still hear the fight going on in the level right beneath me. I could imagine Rhodes and Stark throwing each other through different rooms. I was out of my room and headed to the stairs when a loud crash originated from the room next to me and I couldn't help my curiosity. I peeked inside and saw Stark on the floor next to a huge hole, when Rhodes was ascending from within his Mark II suit. Before he had a chance to see me I bolted to the stairs and made my way downstairs.

I saw Natasha and Pepper having an argument and I wanted to make my way to them, only I was not fast enough. Tony came rushing through the room, landing exactly between me and the two women.

Happy quickly entered and rushed Pepper out of the house, while her eyes were looking around, probably for me. Just as Stark grabbed Rhode's wrist and started dragging him across the room Natasha screamed my name. "This way!", she continued and she held her hand for me to take while the fighting duo continued their show. I didn't hesitate in the slightest when I reached for her hand and together we left through another exit of the mansion.

There was a moment of quiet which I knew was not a good sign. It reminded me of every movie that I had seen, when there was a moment of absolute silence before something happened. And soon I was proven right.

An explosion went out from the house, blasting the door that we had just crossed and sending us flying a few good feet only to land on the hard concrete. And, of course, I had to be unlucky and land on my bad shoulder. Because, why not? Luck didn't seem to be on my side for years now, why would that suddenly change?

"You okay?" I faintly heard as Natasha came and crouched next to me.

No, was what I was thinking at the moment but replied with a "Yes" though greeted teeth. My right hand found its way to the injured shoulder and was holding it tightly. It was as if I was afraid that if I let go, my shoulder would fall off my body. And the hurting ribs didn't help in my try to conceal my pain.

"Let me see" Nat said and gently moved my hand away so that she could inspect what had happened. She pocked it in a few placed, both in my shoulder blade and sternum, gentle but it still hurt. I tried really hard not to cry out in pain or let a whimper, or even a wis, leave my mouth. However her, ever so observant, eyes picked up on my discomfort and she let go, making way for my hand to grab it once again. "Thankfully it didn't get dislocated, again. But it did set your healing back to how it was when you hurt it from the fight. And your ribs don't look any better for the wear. Sorry" she apologised.

"Not your fault" I said after a few moments, my eyes darted to the destroyed mansion. An Iron Man suit flying off caught my eye. But only one, a silver coloured one, which meant that Tony was still in there.

"You should go back to Pepper, she is definitely looking for you" Natasha's voice cut my thoughts short.

My eyebrows furrowed as I turned to her. "You are not coming with me?"

"I have to contact Fury. Stark is completely out of line and he needs to do something. Now. If he continues like that he will be a public danger" she spoke as she helped me up.

"You know what's wrong with him?" I asked, but it was more of a statement. She nodded, but said nothing more. "Classified. Got it" I touched her arm and she lifted her face. "Go, I'll cover for you" a small smile played on my lips, but was soon replaced by a grimace as my shoulder sent a pain wave out of the blue. Nat made a move to help me out, but I stopped her. "I'll be alright. Go" and with my chin I pointed to the opposite direction from where I was heading. "See you soon?" I voiced loudly before she disappeared from my sight.

"Count on it!" She said back and her form disappeared in the shadows of the night.

Natasha's POV

I left Skye to go to Pepper, as I made my way to the vehicle that I had, thankfully, parked quite far from the mansion and so it was still in one piece.

I picked up my phone and as soon as Phil Coulson picked up I said "It's secure" before he even had the chance to ask about the line.

"What's going on, Romanoff?" Fury soon came through the speaker, his voice oh so indifferent, though I could pick up the urgent tone that was hidden underneath.

"He is in a self destructive path and Lt. Colonel Rhodes just flew off with one of his suits, after properly destroying the mansion in Malibu". I heard Fury clicking his tongue and mutter several curse words, though I knew none of them were directed to me. A long period of silence followed, letting me know that he was thinking of a plan. "What are my orders, sir?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "Return to base. We regroup and will meet him first thing in the morning"

"Understood".

But before I made a move to hang up he continued. "Is Skye safe? Are you gonna bring her with you?"

It was my turn to let out a sigh. "No, not this time but soon. As soon as this whole mess with Stark is over. She wants to make sure that Potts is fine before she leaves, but she said that she would come"

Fury seemed to contemplate my words since he didn't reply right away. "How are you so sure she will come?" He eventually asked.

"I trust her. She wouldn't lie to me". This seemed to be all that Fury needed to hear. "Just a reminder, Stark has no idea of our connection to Skye, or more specifically mine. Also, Skye has no idea that you know. I know that this whole 'Skye' situation is between us, but I would like to keep it this way".

"Yes, Romanoff. See you soon" he finished and hung up.