POTENTIAL THREAT ✓
ᶜʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ ᵗʷᵒ
. . . Y/N . . .
IT HAD BEEN at least three months since Tony went missing, and there was still no sign of him. I honestly didn't know how to take the news about his disappearance. I mean, I was the one who was supposed to protect him from things like this; I was the one who should have seen something like this coming, but I didn't, and it made me feel overwhelmed with guilt. I was currently sitting on the couch at home on the phone with Natasha; she was telling me about her and Clint's assignment in Budapest. Natasha mentioned that they had encountered some unexpected problems during their mission, and they were trying to get past them successfully.
She shared some interesting details about Budapest's culinary scene and culture. Alaya, sitting next to me on the couch since she couldn't sleep an hour before, was watching 'Home Alone', which was faintly playing in the background. "Hello? Y/N?" Natasha calls out, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Huh?" I replied, momentarily confused by the sudden interruption. "I asked how you guys were doing... heard about what happened."
I took a moment before responding and turning over to Alaya for a moment as I responded, "I'm... We're fine. Alaya's fine. She's just watching a movie right now." I said, brushing off the concern in Natasha's voice. "By the way, have you tried any of the local Hungarian dishes? I heard the goulash and chimney cake are must-tries." I say attempting to flip the conversation over to her.
"I see what you did there, and I'll let it slide for now, but you should know by now that you can't get anything past me for long," Natasha said with a playful tone, and I only smirked. "Get what past you if i said we were fine?" I asked, still smirking as I moved a hair that was in Alaya's face away. "Because I know you, and because I do, I know I'll find out eventually." Natasha's lighthearted tone reminded me of our long history together. We had always been able to read each other like open books, and even though we had our fair share of secrets, there was an unspoken understanding that nothing could stay hidden forever.
I laugh lightly, and she continues, "But to answer your question, I haven't; I and Clint am just on business." We talked for a while until I handed the phone to Alaya, who wanted to speak and was patiently waiting, but it wasn't long before I hung up and she continued watching the movie. A while ago I had gotten off the phone with Rhodes and Coulson about Tony. Coulson said I was supposed to stay put and not blow my cover, and Rhodes said they were doing everything they could to find him. I couldn't help but feel anxious and restless, wondering what Tony was going through and if he was okay.
Of course, for Alaya's sake. She's been asking for Tony a lot lately, and I haven't had a straight answer for her. I knew that if anything happened to him, she would be devastated. So, to keep us occupied and keep her from thinking about Tony too much, I planned to take Alaya to my brother Noah's house. Noah lives in a quiet neighborhood, and he has a big backyard where Alaya can play with his kid. I hoped that spending time with her family would help take her mind off Tony and bring some joy to her week.
I kiss Alaya's head before moving her body a little to get up. "Mommy... where you going?" Alaya asks with a small voice and a curious look on her face. I smiled and replied as I continued forward, "I'll be right back. I'm just getting your stuff ready, okay?" I assured her, giving her a comforting smile, and she nodded. "Okay, mommy... I wait here and watch the movie!" Alaya said with a smile on her face, and I nodded. "Okay, honey, I'll be back in a bit to come get you."
I repeated it and watched her nod before heading upstairs to her room to pack. I intended to have her stay for a while so I could finish some work. Although I could finish my work at home with Alaya just fine, I wanted to ensure she was entertained and happy during my work hours, and I knew that Noah's place would do just that. His household definitely knew how to have fun but was also responsible and structured. Plus, it would give me a chance to catch up with my brother. So it was truly a win-win situation.
I started muttering to myself as I packed the items into the bag, and I double-checked to make sure I had everything she would need before zipping the bag up. I then went to my room to get ready for the day, making sure to dress comfortably yet professionally. Although I was going to my brother's place, I still had to go to work afterward. As I stood in front of the mirror, I did a touch up on my hair, which I had got done the day before, and made sure everything was still in place.
After I was done, I put my charger, a notebook containing all of my important notes, and my laptop in my bag and packed it away. Before I zipped the bag, I made sure I had everything I needed by checking twice. Although we'd been sort of doing that already before Tony went missing, Pepper and I were attempting to help keep the business operating as efficiently as we could. Well, more so, Pepper. I really cannot understand how she can sit at the desk for so long doing paperwork, managing schedules, and coordinating meetings without getting bored.
I guess that's why I went through with the Operations Academy instead of Communications. God, I can't even imagine what my life would have been like if I had made a different decision-well, actually, I can, and I know it would have been far more boring and mundane. Stopping what I was doing, I scunched up my face, trying to imagine myself sitting at a desk all day, staring at spreadsheets and answering emails. The thought alone made me shudder. So I didn't think about it any further and went downstairs with the bags, placing them on the kitchen island for when we were ready to leave.
The sound of laughter catches my attention, and I turn back, noticing Alaya laughing loudly at the TV. "You're dead, kid!" Harry says this right before he opens the door, which causes a blow torch to go off and hit his head. Alaya laughs as she watches him stick his head in the snow, and I walk over to her body, which was half-way off the couch. I laughed as I moved over to grab her, and she turned over, a smile on her face. "Mommy, look."
Alaya said, pointing towards the screen, and I looked over. "Mhm, I see, honey... I see. But hey, listen, you know how I said I was going to go pack?" I asked her, and she only nodded nonchalantly, not really remembering but acknowledging my statement. "Well, I think it's time we start getting ready. We don't want to wait too late, do we?" I said, trying to gently redirect her attention away from the screen. She only nodded but still looked towards the screen, and she then pointed.
"Mommy look!" I turned over to look again. Kevin's shirt was hanging on a door, and Harry and Merv were right up against him, in his face. I then began nodding again. "I see, I see, but we have to go now, okay? Can Mommy get you dressed so we can leave?" I asked She continued to point at the screen, seemingly captivated by what was happening. "I understand that you're excited, but we really need to start getting ready," I said, gently lifting her up for a moment before I placed her down, grabbed her hand, and guided her towards her room.
"Once we're dressed, when you get to Uncle Noah's, you can watch the movie there with Abrielle. "How does that sound?" Alaya, who was now more willing to work with me, nods her head in agreement after hearing Abrielle's name and allows me to lead her to her room. "Okay, mommy... okay, mommy," Alaya says repeatedly as we walk down the hallway, now understanding what I was trying to get across. It wasn't long after I got Alaya to her room that we were able to get going, get out the door, and drive to Noah's house. The car ride wasn't extremely long, and we soon arrived.
After parking the car in the driveway, I helped my daughter get out of her car seat. We approached and rang the bell at the front door. We lingered for a short while until I heard footsteps approaching the door. They shackle the door a little, but soon open it, and it's one of my nieces, Abrielle. She greets us with a warm smile before saying, "Hi." Her small voice said, and I smiled as I and Alaya started heading in. "Hey! It's so good to see you!" I exclaimed, giving Abrielle a hug. After that, she showed us to the living room, where my brother was waiting. He gets up and hugs me tightly before stooping to kiss his niece on the cheek.
"It's so good to see you both," he says with a smile. "How was the drive?" He asks as Abrielle starts to talk with Alaya a bit, and helps her come upstairs with her as I reply. "The drive was smooth and uneventful," I said, glancing around the cozy living room. "Your home looks wonderful, as always." I say, and he responds with a joking eye roll, referring to his wife.
"Thank you, but it was all Rachel's doing. She has a great eye for decorating." I laughed, agreeing. We then both settle into the comfortable cousins of the couch, and I ask, "How is she, anyway? I heard she's on another assignment." Rachel was a travel nurse who did various jobs all over.
She was able to see a lot of the world as a result, but it also meant she was constantly moving. "Yeah, she's currently in Australia. She's been sending me and Abrielle pictures of the beaches and wildlife, making me quite jealous," he says while showing me a picture. "We miss her, but I'm proud of her for pursuing her dreams and helping those in need." He says this while still staring at her photo.
I could tell he loved her very much, which made me smile. We continued on with our conversation for a while until he went to check on the girls. I then got a phone call from Abrianna, and we somehow got onto the topic of Marcus's off-and-on girlfriend, who doesn't like me for whatever reason. "Marcus said, she said, her friends don't like you. Which is just wired because you ain't done anything to them nor have you met them."
She states this, then continues. "I also heard that she doesn't like how close Marcus is to us, his family!" She exclaims as I continue to listen. "She says he's never trying to get to know hers, which is just ridiculous and hypocritical. She knows damn well; she ain't even trying to get to know us too." She finishes, and I can hear her take a sip of something.
"Abrianna... you drinking?" I asked, pausing for a small moment, "Girl! Of course... It's been one of those days." She responds with a giggle, and I laugh at that. "But seriously, I don't know what her problem is. It's not like we're trying to steal Marcus away from her or anything. We just love him and want to spend time with him. "
"Plus, it's frustrating how she expects Marcus or us to make all the effort when she's not willing to do the same. It's like she wants all the benefits of a relationship without putting in any of the work. It's exhausting trying to navigate this situation and constantly feeling like we're walking on eggshells around her. " Abrianna said while releasing a sigh, and I just shook my head. "And this is why I don't fool with her."
"She never liked me to begin with; she always has something to say when I see her, but when I try to clap back, I'm the obnoxious one," I stated with a hint of frustration, but I took a deep breath and calmed down. "But I don't even care anymore if Marcus wants to see her. That's fine; he can go ahead. They won't catch me at any family events with her there."
I finished, and I heard Abrinna laugh in agreement. I then turn over to see both Naoh and the kids come downstairs, and I put the phone on speaker. Noah then suggests, while he takes a seat, that we all go out for dinner to a new restaurant he's been wanting to try-just us siblings with the kids. The kids enter the living room and sit by Noah, whom I hand the phone to as he continues to discuss it. Abrianna is already listening to him, and I pick up my ringing work phone.
"Hello," I say into the phone, and I hear Rhodey's voice come through my ear. "Hey, Y/N." Rhodes greets before continuing, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important." I shook my head and looked over toward Noah once. "No, not at all," I replied.
"What's up?" Rhodes then proceeds, "We found him." I hear him say it with what I believe to be excitement. My pulse quickens as I question further, just to be sure, about a question I know the answer to. "Found who?" Rhodes responds, "We found Tony." Relief floods through me as I hear the news.
I ask again, "You're not lying to me, are you?" Rhodes chuckles and assures me, "No, I'm not lying. I have him right by me right now. We just wanted to let you know." I let out a sigh of relief and thanked Rhodes. "So hurry up; we're going to be landing pretty soon."
"I still have to call Pepper; meet us at the base." He said that, and I began to remember something. I check my watch and see it's 11:30. "Crap!" I uttered under my breath, and Rhodey asked, concerned. "What? What happened?"
"I'm supposed to meet Pepper in 10 minutes," I replied while grabbing my bag. Rhodes then says, letting out a breath, "Don't worry about that. Just let me handle Pepper and hurry there." We end the call after I give an okay response. I tell Alaya that she's got a surprise coming up later and kiss her on the cheek before picking up my phone and bidding Abrianna goodbye.
After giving Noah and Abrielle hugs, I left the house and headed to my car in a slight rush.
As Rhodes stated, I was waiting outside by my car. I made sure to give Coulson a call and let him break the news to Fury. Unavoidably, I started to feel a little anxious. I tried to divert my attention while I waited by inhaling deeply and observing my surroundings. Men with boxes were to my left, and two women were speaking to my right.
As expected, they were all dressed in military uniforms. I inhale deeply, "You're a trained... and very skilled assassin; get it together." I told myself that I was trying to de-stress. Taking a big breath again, Suddenly, a car emerges from beside me, and an individual exits the vehicle. Happy.
He nods at me, a tiny smile lighting up his face. Then he makes his way to the back door of the vehicle and opens it. Pepper emerges dressed in a black fitted business suit, looking composed, yet the way her bottom lip twitched told me she was biting it nervously. She then walks towards me, her heels clicking against the pavement, and I turn back around. When I sense her presence on my side, I look over to see her doing the same, and she greets me with a nod.
As I shift my gaze back to the runway after giving one back, I notice a big gray plane arriving with the words "U.S. Air Force" written across the upper side. After the plane has landed and been fully backed up, the rear door descends onto the pavement.
Once it's open, I have a clear view of Tony. He tries to stand up but has a hard time. Rhodey helps him up, and they start to walk down. I can see the exhaustion on Tony's face as they walk forward with his arm in a cast.
As I shift my gaze back to the runway after giving one back, I notice a big gray plane arriving with the words "U.S. Air Force" written across the upper side. After the plane has landed and been fully backed up, the rear door descends onto the pavement. While moving forward and waving his arm towards the stretcher, Tony makes a clear attempt to communicate with the two military women who are carrying it. As Rhodey waves the two women away, his hand rises, and they begin to back away.
His eyes then catch mine, and his expression is filled with a mix of relief and exhaustion. I can see the weight of the situation etched on his face as he walks forward, his steps heavy with fatigue. It's clear that whatever happened over those three months took a toll on him physically and probably emotionally. But although I got all of that from just looking into his eyes, on the outside, he told another story. He held his head high and maintained an expressionless stare into the distance, as if trying to project an air of strength and resilience.
His posture was straight and his shoulders squared, betraying none of the weariness that I could see in his eyes. It was as if he had built an impenetrable wall around himself, shielding his vulnerability from the world. He was soon right in front of us, and I could see a closer look at his face. I squinted as he turned to face Pepper and me, his lips pressed tightly together and his jaw clenched as he observed us both. "Hm... your eyes are red, and you look stressed. "
He pointed out before continuing, "All this for your long-lost boss?" He jokes, and my lip twitches in response. Pepper shakes her head before speaking. "Tears of joy. I hate job hunting." The man's expression remains unchanged as he listens to Pepper's response.
He then nods lightly before stating, "Yeah, vacation's over." He moves to the side and walks away, leaving us both where we were. I turn around with a small smile, and Pepper follows. While Pepper is walking to the car that she arrived in, I am walking to mine. A hand stops me suddenly as I try to unlock the door with the keys.
I look up to see who the hand belongs to, only to find that it's Tony's. "What are you doing?" As he takes my keys from my grasp and puts them in his own, he asks me in a low voice while looking down.
"Getting into my car..." I say unsurely, my voice trailing off. "I see that, but why is it here? I thought you road with Pepper." He said it curiously, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Today I couldn't. I wasn't with Pepper or Happy when Rhodes called. So I drove myself." He continued to stare before he asked again. "Why not?" "Because I dropped Alaya off at Noah's." I say, and he gives me a confused look.
"Her father's?" He asked, and I laughed, "No! My brother, Noah." I assured him, and he made a face. "You have a brother?" I nod, a smile playing on my lips. "Yeah, two, actually. I thought you already knew about them too since you were talking with half of my family."
I said with a slight laugh, feeling a mix of surprise and amusement at his reaction. He shakes his head, a sheepish expression on his face. "Must've missed it... I guess there's still a bit to know about you, Ms. Y/L/N," Tony said with a slight twitch of his lips, and I only smiled, looking down for a moment before backing up. "I have no idea what you're talking about," I said with a smirk as I titled my head. Tony stared at me for a moment, and I stared back, still smirking.
It was like this for a moment before he spoke, barely above a whisper. "Come with us," he asks lowly, and when he notices, he clears his throat. "I mean, join us." Tony then starts to stand up more straight, and I look over to my car, then back to him. "Tony, you know I can't just leave my car here," I said with a slight laugh, and it was as if a light bulb went off in his head as his mouth spoke before he could stop it. "Happy can take your car back to your place later. Won't you Happy?"
He speaks up so Happy can hear clearly, and Happy nods in agreement. "Of course, Mr. Stark." Tony then adds, "Plus, our vehicle would definitely be more fun; I wouldn't want you bored now." I raise an eyebrow at Tony as he sends me a slight smile. "You think you're fun?" I ask jokingly, "Undoubtedly."
He says this while grinning. "I don't know... I don't want Happy to go out of his way," I say, trying to make up an excuse, but he quickly adds. "He doesn't mind, right, Happy?" Happy shakes his head and replies, "Not at all, Mr. Stark. It's no trouble, Ms. Y/L/N."
Tony then chimes in as he raises both of his arms waist-high. "See? Problem solved. Now come on, I need my assistant." Leaving no room for discussion, he tosses the keys to Happy, walks over to the car, and opens the door. I watch him approach the car, and Happy opens the door, but Tony turns around instead of getting inside. He then motions for me to go in.
I take my time moving forward and sliding into the backseat beside Pepper. After Tony had settled in next to me, Happy closed the door and took the front seat. Once I place my seat belt on, Happy speaks up. "Where to, sir?" Happy asked while looking in the mirror, "Take us to the hospital, please, Happy." Pepper replies for him, but Tony shook his head, "No."
He states, and mine, along with Pepper's heads, snap in his direction. "No? Tony, you have to go to the hospital." She says this, trying to reason with him as I ask at the same time. "No? What do you mean, no?" I asked confusedly, and Tony turned towards us. "No is a complete answer," he says while speaking over us.
"The doctor has to look at you." She continues as I take a deep breath, shaking my head as Tony continues. "I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do."
"I want an American cheeseburger and the other..." He argued, but before he could finish, I cut him off. "That's enough of that," I say with a stern tone, and he turns to me. "It's not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now." He finishes, and I look at him with a confused expression.
"Call for a press conference?" I questioned Tony, and he nodded. "Yeah," he replied to me."What on earth?" Pepper says as she sighs, and I question again. "Why do you want a press conference?" I asked, trying to make sense of his sudden request. "Hogan, drive."
"Cheeseburger first." He says this, and I gape a little at him as I stare into his eyes. "You want a press conference and a cheeseburger?" I asked as I took in a deep breath, and Tony shrugged nonchalantly, keeping eye contact. "Yes, I need to make an announcement, and I'm quite famished if I do say so myself." Tony ends with a wink, and I shake my head, turning to face Hogan as I let out a breath that becomes a sigh.
"Just drive."
-ˏˋ⋆ ᴡ ᴇ ʟ ᴄ ᴏ ᴍ ᴇ ⋆ˊˎ-
Thank you for reading!
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