The Tale of Two

Eight months later...

December 2010

A week before Christmas. Manhatta, New York City

Tony walks into the dining area of the Liberty building restaurant with Rikki on his arm. Both of them looking dressed to kill, with him in a suit and her in a stunning gown. After having to endure another gala for S.I.’s latest press release, he thinks they deserve a well earned dinner. There’s a nice view of the city here that he knows Rikki loves and should help get her mind off of the nightmare this night had nearly turned into.  

Tony had given Pepper the go ahead for the next phase in Stark Industries history. So, Pepper announced the arc powered airliners, one for handicapped and one for able bodied passengers. Well, not really arc powered. More like a really advanced battery that stores arc power because Tony was still too paranoid to let his technology just go out into the public like that. 

They already had several contracts with airlines for leases and purchases. Of course, if that was all then they might have had an easier time weathering the media storm that’s descended upon them. Pepper had also released another statement about a joint effort between Stark Industries, Hyundai Motors, and Ford Motors to create a new line of cars that would also run on arc power. 

The media has since collectively lost its mind.

Along with everyone else, too.

It’s all anyone is talking about. Nationally and internationally. These new product lines are ‘A Big Deal’. Having them run on arc power means less reliance on oil and explosive fuel which has a lot of heads turning. The good and the not so good. The clean energy factions were practically jumping up and down in glee at having a spearhead for their message. They’ll go insane when Rikki finally agrees to be the face for that, too. She’s already modeled for a few companies, all of them cruelty free and reputable. Not that the clothes they wear already are, they get them tailored using fabrics made in top line factories where the average worker gets paid twice that of an American laborer, but its all about the impression the public gets. Can’t have the face for advocacy wearing clothes tested on animals according to Pepper. (Rikki didn’t care so long as she still got to wear jeans on her days off and Tony just loved watching her on set).

On the other side of the aisle, Tony can guess the big oil corporations are waiting to roll out their smear campaigns right after the New Year. Not that it will do them much good. This is Tony fucking Stark they’re dealing with not some underfunded activitist. Then there is the military, which is practically salivating at the idea of arc powered fleets and fighter jets. It makes Tony’s skin crawl just thinking of all the ways people like Stane might try to abuse this.

But he wants to make gas cars obsolete and he will. He wants it done in five years and he’s going to get it. The truly long term benefits will take a longer while to be seen but for the more eco friendly parties, Stark Industries will be an icon to rally around.

For the most part, the arc reactors he intends to create to replace existing energy plants throughout the country will also include charging locations for these new vehicles. Like the electric stations for electric cars. Granted, the mini arc reactor technology will make it so the everyday consumer only needs to charge them once every five months. This is all alongside regular check ups and inspections minus the oil change, among other things. Of course, the recharge will be handled by a Stark Employee professional to prevent theft or dangerous tampering. (Well, more dangerous than people already do with combustible cars). But the low power is to make sure no one is trying to tamper with the battery. He could make it longer or shorter but thought six months was a fine compromise between consumer wants and Tony’s paranoia.

Tony also designed the batteries to be easily trackable and easily deactivated from any S.I. branch in the world. He can’t start having people committing deliberate crimes with his tech. Of course, that’s only with Tony’s authorization or a court order. If someone manages to remove the mini arc from the vehicle than that’s a different story. They would be shut down fifteen seconds after unauthorized removal and five minutes with authorized removal. Just in case of blackmail or theft. 

Tony is sure he can add more security to his tech to prevent abuse but the new lines aren’t going to be released for another six months. He has time. The airliners are more secure since he had more to work with and there are other security features that are used to make airliners hard and near impossible to hijack. Luckily, his company has a lot of college interns with plenty of bright ideas including a few fraternities/sororities interested in national security, so asking for their input should generate more than enough ideas to make the batteries and other Stark properties more impenetrable. (Rikki’s idea to hire college student interns has been the best investment so far. Surprisingly, there have been only a handful of bad eggs and they were quickly removed. Tony has his eye on a few that he really wants to keep and a few he’s sure Pepper is going to hire as soon as they finish their degrees).

With these kind of products soon to be available to the public, it is no real wonder why everyone and their mother wants a piece of Tony Stark. He is doing what his father couldn’t. He is revolutionizing the world for a better tomorrow through innovation rather than through war.

Tony will be leading the way into the future. He is building the foundation of his legacy.

A legacy his son will one day inherit. 

Peter is ten now. A big one-zero and Tony is a bit proud of how far they’ve all come from that fucking nightmare of a day.  Tony had met his son, his son’s abuser and his son’s avenger all within the span of several hours. It was a lot to take in at the time but with the holidays just around the corner, it all seems so far away.

His kid is a freaking angel, too. There is no two ways about it. Peter loves LEGOs, Star Wars, and science. He sticks to his schedule, something he’s grateful to May and Ben for, and only puts up a mild complaint when it’s time for bed.  Rikki had gotten Peter a nightlight when he would cry those first few days in the mansion and Tony had no clue how to get his kid to talk to him. Otherwise, his somber and heartbroken kid bloomed into a curious mini scientist, asking all sorts of questions about everything. There is a massive queue at home with documentaries on everything under the sun, from space to the frozen arctic to the development of the film industry. (That last one Rikki was looking forward to see since she loved movies). 

Peter bounced back after almost two months and stopped shadowing Tony like he might disappear into smoke.  The therapy probably helped and knowing that his new superhero dad was there to protect him definitely eased the way. Telling his kid that he wasn’t going anywhere and no one was going to take him away was a...emotional conversation. He’s had to repeat it so many times, Tony had to crush the instinctive reaction to hide away. To be the Stark made of Iron as his own dad used to say. That wouldn’t help Peter feel safe or trust Tony with whatever bothers him. So Tony resolutely shut off that reaction and, well, things have been good. Better than good. His therapist was so proud of him and they had a long discussion about toxic masculinity.

But, back to Peter. The little guy wanted to know what Tony liked about his job and his day, about all the ‘bad guys’ that Iron Man took down. It made parts of his heart fucking melt and left Tony wondering what the hell was wrong with Howard. Peter looks like Tony as a kid and if he thinks his kid is fucking tooth rottingly adorable, then Howard had needed some real fucking help. Which leads to thoughts on their ‘accident’. Now that he knows, there are no hard feelings against his father for the accident. Not anymore. And not after a few weeks beating the whole thing to death in therapy but that does not mean he isn’t still partially upset about Howard’s part in his life.

Of course, deciding what to do with that information is another matter. For now he’s holding that ace up his sleeve very closely. Keyworth was concerned, of course, and while policy dictates the crime be reported, this crime encompassed a lot more than a guy with a gun. There police, medical professionals and even SHIELD to think about, who all played a part in covering it up. It will take a lot more than filing a police report to get to the bottom of who was involved and who needed to be brought to justice.

Fortunately, Tony knows a guy.

“When I first brought you here, I struck gold, didn’t I?” Tony grins as he pulls out Rikki’s seat for her and then takes his own. “Pretty good for a spoiled rich white guy, huh?”

“We both know you’re more than that, Mr Stank.” Rikki grins back. She slyly says nothing about his first statement. Tony mentally fist pumps and takes the jokes with a grin.

Their waiter stops by to take their orders which is really just Rikki ordering her preferred wine for the night and then waiting for the three courses to make its way to them.  The portions are reasonable and clean enough for Rikki to eat without worrying about an accident. The courses also include an assortment of some of the couple’s favorite foods: beef, salmon, and steak to name a few.

“Very much true. I am the spoiled rich white guy.” Tony jokes as he reaches across the table to hold her hand. “But how are you holding up? Any regrets?”

These past few months have been hard on her, too. In the chaos surrounding Peter and the Expo both of them forgot that Rikki had essentially committed a crime to see him at the hospital. Specifically, fraud. 

At the time, FRIDAY had gone the extra length to make sure their marriage was “real” enough for the hospital legal team so that Rikki would not be thrown out and so the staff could go to her about May’s status when she slipped into a coma. His AI did this by making the marriage completely legal but Tony isn’t upset over that. No, it was just that they had forgotten to deal with that after the fact and before anyone could report on it.

Which is when a very helpful journalist found the marriage certificate and had it plastered all over the place.

On the flip side, Rikki’s very fierce reputation made its way into mainstream media and paparazzi learned very quick not to piss her off. Well, not quickly enough for some. She had to make a few reporters cry in public for it to stick but oh, did it stick. Tony certainly wasn’t going to correct her and Pepper had agreed when she heard some of the questions they were throwing at the blonde. It gave Rikki a nice wall of protection while out in public and it split the media in half. Some siding with her as a woman and a citizen from an allied country while others hated her for one petty reason or another. Tony wasn’t too concerned about that since the media was always like that but he had worried about Terry’s reaction.

Those were long weeks for Tony. Very long.

But the one positive was that Peter was swept under the rug. His son was completely overlooked compared to Tony Stark having a secret wife. Peter was just another face that got lost in the crowd. This is also why Rikki didn’t make a bigger fuss.  She just took it in stride and only showed how annoyed she was over the invasion of her privacy by paparazzi. Terry had been very interested in what they were going to do about it all. Whether that was stick with the marriage or void it out. Tony didn’t know what to make of the man’s laid back demeanor. He was very relaxed about his daughter having faked being married to her boyfriend. But then again, Terry is of the belief that Rikki is a grown woman who can make her own decisions and he’s not going to get in the way of whatever it is she wants. He’s a little jealous of how easy the relationship between Rikki and her father is. 

“None. Tony, really, I’m fine.” Rikki looks at him with fond exasperation and thanks the waiter when he finishes pouring their wine,“If I wasn’t okay with it I would have told you and where you can shove it.”

“Can’t blame me for making sure.” Tony waits for her to finish taking a sip. “It isn’t easy being Mrs. Stark.”

“It’s not any harder than being your girlfriend.” Rikki interlocks their fingers and decides to change the topic. “So what did you get me?”

“You know I can’t say.” Despite trying to be stern, a grin makes its way back across his face. “Present opening happens on Christmas Day. Not a month before. Not a week. No. Nope. Won’t make me crack.”

Rikki had agreed to stay married and that made Tony feel all sorts of things. Mostly guilt. She was a champ during the Expo disaster and Tony didn’t even propose to her. Not even months later and it only occurred to him when Pepper asked him what his plans are for a ‘proper’ proposal. Tony had originally thought a wedding that was all Rikki could ever want and more would be best but Pepper just gave him this look. The one that is silent judgement and despair because, really that’s what you come up with? Tony, no. Which meant he had to make a plan, a new plan. Pepper is right, too. Rikki deserves to have a proposal to remember.

“Oh, come on.” Rikki tugs at his hand a little. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Oh, like you didn’t tell anyone about Peter’s birthday gift?”

“You wanted to buy him a herd of horses.” Rikki’s expression falls as flat as her voice. “A herd. As in more than the three we managed to talk you down to.”

She’s not wrong. Rikki had teamed up with Rhodey and Pepper to get him to settle for only the three horses for Peter. A British spotted Appaloosa, a Frisian and a dappled gray Arabian.

Of which are all near the end of their prime years. Not too young that they’ll be too temperamental for Peter to handle and not to old that they’ll get hurt easily in training or competition. But there is a genuine logic behind his reasoning. Peter’s counselor had suggested extracurricular activities to help his son adjust and cope with his rapidly changing circumstances. Most of those activities had turned out to be duds. Boxing and football were terrible experiences that Tony would rather bleach form him mind. (There used to be a video of Tony threatening to sue everyone in the vicinity while he holds a crying Peter in his arms. To this day, he swears those brats had it out for his kid and if he had his way they’d all be working fast food jobs for the rest of their lives).

Golf and archery were decent but boring after an hour or two. Although, monster mini golf was a big hit with Peter and Rikki. Track was out because Tony was not going to aggravate Peter’s asthma. Tony was also trying not to take Peter out of New York just yet so that left out surfing or boogie boarding. Ben did take Peter to the local pool for swimming lessons so Tony made sure he knew where the mansion pool is and set JARVIS to keep an eye on him. (And if he uses one of the suits to do that, well, Peter doesn’t complain. Especially when Tony promises its to keep the monsters away. Now, it's simply normal to have one or two of his suits guarding his son at all times). Peter already knew how to skate and had a skateboard from his late birthday but he hasn’t touched it since the Expo.

“He needs three, minimum.” Tony argues back. “And Peter’s so good with them, too.”

It was a stroke of luck that Peter had been watching a documentary on wild horses. One thing led to another and Peter was having his first lesson in horsebacking riding. His kid loved it even though he felt sore after the lesson. Peter was so excited when he got to brush the horse and give it an apple before leaving for the day. (Tony refused to get near the beast. He swears the soulless abominations are just waiting for a moment of weakness so they can eat him). But he loves seeing his kid smile and how his entire face brightens when he’s set to go for his lessons. Really, three horses were too few in his opinion, but maybe it’s because Peter’s still young. He’ll ask for more when he gets older, Tony’s sure.

“I know, I know. Peter’s part centaur. But, maybe relax a little? Peter’s not going anywhere.” She places her glass down and lets go of his hand as their server starts to set out the first course for them.

“I know that.” Tony stabs his salad. “But he’s my kid and I’ve missed his entire childhood-”

“-not all of it.”

“Most of it. His first word, his first steps.” Tony takes a drink of his wine. It tastes great but both of them have great taste. “And I won’t get those years back.”

“So you want to make these count?” Rikki moves the garlic butter from her food to the bottom of her plate, nose wrinkled slightly. “You know Peter adores you, right? Even after the whole dad reveal, he looks at you like you built Mars.”

“He didn’t when I tried to get him to take dance lessons.” Tony deflects as the server returns with the next dish, a soup. Both of them watch the bowls as they’re carefully set down. They’re about the size of a tea cup but still, hot soup is hot soup.

“Yeah, no, that club was awful. I don’t want to know what you were thinking-”

“-I learned from there-”

“-so you can teach him yourself.” Rikki stares him down as she takes a spoonful of her soup, daring him to argue with her. 

“Peter does not think I built Mars.” He redirects.

The look Rikki sends him tells Tony if it were possible, she would have bent him over the table and spanked him right there. He ignores the sliver of heat that sinks into his gut. (Tony will bring it back up later). But for the moment, he winks at her as they finish off the soup and look forward to the second course. Specifically the lobster, which is one of the main reasons they like coming here. The other dishes in this course includes chicken, halibut, steak, duck, and venison. Which means the couple gets the best of everything plus dessert along with an amazing view of the city.

“Speaking of Mars.” Rikki licks her lips after taking a sip. “How’s that going? Pepper came over to vent and all I understood was something about overlords and senators.”

Tony winces and groans. Yeah, he knows what that was about. As far as anyone else knows SI launched several satellites into orbit around September and were for the purpose of communication. GPS location and radar mostly. The real purpose is to give JARVIS, FRIDAY, and any other AIs a boost for when the aliens show up. Give them more wiggle room to respond and react. Four of them have five suits each, carrying several payloads of his most powerful weapons, including the Jericho missiles. In a pinch, the satellites can connect with one another to create a temporary space station. A landing point and relaunching point in case of emergencies. But no one else should know about that function or even that it’s possible.

Tony designed them using information from suits he sent into space. JARVIS relayed a ton of information from the suit and compared what Tony had on astronauts’ experience during take off and re-entry. If he was forced to go through the portal he wants to make sure he can get back through it because according to Rikki the New York invasion is only the beginning. He can’t die there, refuses to accept even the idea of it, not when his family needs him. Not when he knows their lives will still be at risk. Tony may have had to hack NASA for the data but no one knows about that so he considers it fine. Although that will probably change when he makes a formal request for NASA’s cooperation to get to Mars. After all, the more range he has the better equipped he will be.

“You remember the satellites we launched?” Rikki hums around her bite of lobster but keeps her eyes on him, listening. She knows very well what he’s saying without actually having to say anything. “Well, the usual ass kissers got some fun new friends in DC and are pushing for me to go back into weapons manufacturing. Again.”

“I thought that was taken care of.”

“Making body armor and then better GPS for the military to keep an eye on their guys just isn’t enough for some people.” Tony rolls his eyes. “A few senators want my satellites for military use only. Especially after the Stark phone hit the shelves. That drink feature is a big hit by the way.”

Tony raises his glass to her and Rikki smiles, pleased with herself which she should be, raising her own glass to toast. The feature he’s talking about uses the camera on the phone to analyze a person’s drink to tell if it’s been tampered with. Rikki had come up with the idea after having a few close encounters and it’s only because of her powers that she managed to avoid being drugged. But other women aren’t so lucky. (There was a full moon a few years ago that came with the ability to detect poison in liquids and hearing about it sent Tony on a science bing for three days). It’s why the Stark phone is such a big hit with women and also why people in DC are making such a big stink out of it. A programming feature that does that on a simple phone can do so much more with military applications in mind.

He’s managed to avoid the meeting President Ellis wants since October when the new Stark phone launched but he knows he won’t be able to shake him for much longer.

“So you told them no and then…?”

“Someone’s trying to accuse me of using my satellites against the government which is hilarious considering they were approved by the FCC and the ITU.”

“You think it’s HYDRA or SHIELD?” Rikki subtly licks her fork, getting the last taste of lobster that she can. 

“Possibly both.” Tony finishes his wine as he watches her tongue dart back and forth. “Then again, they’ve been dodging my lawyers since the Expo. Going after my property this way would not be a smart move.”

“What made you think they were smart to begin with?” Rikki ask after taking a sip and Tony just shrugs. 

“At first I thought they were just acting like spies. They knew more than me since I was a civilian but not anymore. Now, they’re more like desperate teenagers. Stupidly desperate. They overplayed their hand with their pet spider and they’re scrambling to get back some kind of leverage.” Rikki hums with a frown and puts her fork down. Yeah, he wasn’t the only one pissed the redhead assassin managed to get the slip from the Expo. “There’s also plenty of people who don’t like me and who have no problem trying to steal my tech or use some convoluted legal scheme to get me to give it to them like the attempt with the armor.”

“I can see them trying that.” Rikki polishes off her wine just as the waiter returns to refill their glasses. “Convince someone who hates you to go after you and promise them support. While hiding the fact you’re hunting them down so you can drag them to court.”

“Showed me who I need to keep an eye out for, so…” Tony shrugs, like ‘what can you do?’. People seem to forget Tony was CEO for a few years and head of R&D.  He did more than party and fuck anyone willing to go to bed with him.

They spend some time talking about miscellaneous things while they go through the rest of the main course. Mostly they laugh at how the night started out. How many times the senator from Texas kept trying to find out if Tony was making plans to build a reactor there (He plans to build two) or how the governor from Utah was trying overly hard to make the resources mined there seem invaluable (not all of them). Only for Mr Utah to get into a fight with a senator from Pennsylvania that ended with half the bar nearly catching fire.

That incident is pretty tame compared to Rikki’s reaction to seeing the Widow show up as some doctor’s plus one. 

It was obvious who the Widow’s target for the night was since she walked through the door. The redhead couldn’t seem to take her eyes away from Tony. When the woman actually had the audacity to make her way over to them and the crowd around them, Rikki had had enough. 

Several glasses may have exploded. Without any explanation as far as the other guest were aware. Unfortunately, since they were surrounded Rikki had gotten splashed by several drinks and the couple had to beat a hasty retreat into one of the side rooms. (Tony made sure they stuck close to that side of the room, just in case something like that ever happened). The side rooms are really for more private meetings, although its known that couples sometimes use them. In this case, it gave them a good place to get to cover. Rikki transformed just as Tony managed to close the door and he barely had the chance to catch her before she hit the marble floor.

Needless to say, neither of them were happy. 

Rikki quickly dried off and they walked back out about ten minutes later looking like nothing happened. The other guests watched them with envy, many of them stuck in their wet and stained clothes, trying and failing to clean themselves with napkins and towels provided by the staff. 

Tony smiles for the crowd and pretends to be as baffled as everyone else but more than happy to have a few minutes alone with his wife like the eccentric billionaire that he is. If it were possible, Rikki’s smile could kill with how sharp it cut into the crowd as her eyes hunted down Romanova. The agent wisely made her retreat but stupidly stayed just on the edge of their peripheral sight. They managed to give nothing away despite Rikki’s temper getting the better of her.

Still, it was like a slap in the face. SHIELD goes out of its way to avoid them only to send their pet spider out to the last party of the year Tony’s scheduled to attend. One Rikki originally wasn’t set to show up for.  It did not take a genius to get what strategy they had been planning to use. Tony called up Happy to get them and have an impromptu date night.

“So what you get me?” Rikki brings the topic back. Tony grins and stuffs his mouth with crab cake to keep from caving in. “Oh come on, I told you what I got you for your birthday.”

“Because you couldn’t wait to find out what I could do with it!” Tony laughs.

Not that he could blame her. Her gift was beyond anything he could have ever imagined. That’s because Rikki had managed to find a chunk of Uru, the metal ore that makes up Thor’s hammer. Or so they guess. But it’s a very good theory since it’s got that dull look base color but give it some magic and it lights up like a firework. JARVIS and FRIDAY lost track of the power stored in the chuck after the readings started to exceed the energy output they have for the damn sun. Which meant Tony had to build a forge using Starkanium and the arc reactor just to melt it down and shape it. 

But it was definitely the best gift he’s ever got. Especially after the conversation he had with Rikki about it once she saw the bangle he'd made with it. The first piece wasn’t large enough to make an armor with it so he made something that would help Tony protect Rikki instead. 

“You know Stormbreaker is made of this stuff.” She speaks in the same nonchalant tone from before. Absentminded.  

“Storm what?” Tony stops mid geek out on the properties he discovered about the metal she brought to him. 

“Thor’s axe. Everyone in the theatre practically screamed when he went for the gauntlet and not the head. Literally. Everyone made it sound like a whale dying or something.”

It takes Tony a hard second to process that. When he does…

“Should have gone for the head then, huh?” The Tony of that world had only made a scratch with his armor but that was to the Mad Titan, not the gauntlet.

“Oh yeah. He could have won right there. If he’d took Thanos head that would have been it. No universe ending overlord and Thor could have used the stones to bring everyone back and then scatter the stones or whatever.” Rikki slips the bangle on and admires it with a smile. It looks good on her and he’s glad he added the diamonds even though it’s actually for her to wear as a mermaid. “I did read an article after the movie. Something about Thor being emotionally vulnerable and not really thinking clearly.”

“I can get that…” Tony isn’t going to judge since he can be impulsive as hell. “But it never occurred to him to kill the guy than use the stones to bring his people back? If he broke the gauntlet he couldn’t use it himself.”

Rikki huffs and gives him an annoyed look. She’s not annoyed with him, thankfully. It’s more her agreeing with him and not seeing how people can think something different. She calls it common sense. Tony wisely does not bring up how he’s come across plenty of people who lack even 1 percent of that thinking. He’s heard one rant about the stupidity of people and that was more than enough. Tony would much rather spend his time thinking of better things to do...like watching his wife verbally burn someone for something or other. Figuratively, of course. 

“It probably never crossed his mind since he’s this Viking jock from the Golden Realm. More brawn and less brains.”

“You’re joking.” 

Tony has read up on mythology since his return from Afghanistan. More to get some kind of understanding about Rikki’s whole mermaid thing. Not surprising what’s out there is more conjecture and fiction than anything solid. But it did give him an idea of what the general public would think if she was ever exposed.  As well as the kind of work that would need to go into swaying the public to their side. But his research led him to all sorts of pantheons. In Norse mythology, Thor is an important figure and he’s fallen for several of Loki’s tricks. The text made him come off more as a Viking knight in a way. All honor codes and stuff. But for an Asgardian prince who prides himself on being a warrior, studying battle tactics has to be a must. And Politics? What about that? The look Rikki sends him, however, tells him she’s not kidding.

“How can you be a prince of a warrior race, gone into combat and not know how to prioritize objectives on a battlefield?” Fucking hell, Tony knew that and he’s not a damn soldier. Some of his Rhodney’s venting must have stuck with him. Or maybe he was just so emotionally fucked up that he couldn’t compartmentalize? 

“No clue.” She shrugs. “In the film, Thor was pretty immature. A spoiled brat and then the whole redemption thing happens.”

“But does he learn anything?”

“I couldn’t say. I mean, he learned to be ‘worthy’ again. Whatever that means. But he didn’t really mature until the Dark Elves kill his mom and Ragnorak when Odin dies.”

Tony hides a wince. He can’t really fault her for sounding a little heartless. To her, everyone else isn’t really important. What matters to Rikki are those close to her, that’s the family and friends she cares about. It’s also a really small number of people and everyone else just doesn’t register on her radar. It’s not that Rikki lacks compassion. She has plenty of that but she chooses to show it to very few, to those who matter to her. Heck, a lot of the treasures she finds are given to charity auctions or given to museums. Most of her wealth is made from commissions, sponsorships and rewards from countries whose treasure she manages to find and return. Rikki turned that all around and made herself financially secure for the rest of her life. She’s no billionaire but she’s done a damn fine on her own. 

But this lack of care can look pretty bad to anyone who doesn’t know her. Tony knows she doesn't have a lot of friends in this world. This isn’t the first time it occurs to him that she gave up a lot when she came here, including the friends she made and the comradity that came with sharing the same secret. In this world though, Rikki Stark née Chadwick has few if any friends who know her well and all anyone remembers of her in high school was that she was an outcast. The lone wolf. 

Growing up, Rikki probably learned to keep to herself as a way of protection. After all, you can’t get hurt if there’s no one there to hurt you. It makes his chest hurt a little, how similar they are. The difference, Tony thinks, is that while Tony tried to connect, to reach out and fit in. Rikki never even bothered. She danced to no one’s tune and heard no one’s opinion of who she should be. Tony is honest enough with himself nowadays to admit that makes him a little jealous. What would his life have been like if he’d met someone like her years ago? 

“So, wait, if the gauntlet and the axe are made of the same stuff, what the hell made him think it was going to break?”

“No idea.” 

“Fuck me.” This cannot be all that he’s stuck working with. No. The universe would be beyond fucked if he was. Or maybe just him since the movie version of himself seemed to be the only one with a lick of common sense. “Guess I'll have to go see the guy myself.”

JARVIS already knows to keep an eye on Jane Foster and SHIELD in New Mexico. He wants to know the second Thor hits the ground. Tony will never ever take Rikki’s story for granted. Hell, he’s convinced she has no idea the impact she’s had on, well, everything. During his testing of the suits for space use and combat, he had someone in R&D call Foster up. At face value, Stark Industries is interested in any and all avenues about space. (Which is not a complete lie, he had over dozens of other such calls made to other interesting parties.) Jane Foster was asked if there was anything in her field she thought might be of interest to them and she spent the good part of three hours making a case about astrophysics and her research. At the thirty minute mark, she had the entire office on speaker and was deep into a discussion on possible applications her study could have on society. Only for Tony to get on the call himself an hour in and then the kids gloves came off. 

Now, Jane Foster is officially sponsored by Stark Industries and that means Tony gets the chance to look over her research. It also means that Tony has an official reason to check in on her when Thor shows up. In about another month or so.

“It was worth it though.” Rikki rubs her wrist. The spot where her bangle appears when she grows a tail. “Even if it’s more for your peace of mind.”

“Well-“

“I’m kidding!” She rolls her eyes with a huff. 

Tony relaxes. He’s glad, really, that she understands. Her bracelet has a tracking feature and vital monitor. At any time she’s in the water, a satellite is on her and FRIDAY is keeping an eye out for fishermen, freighters, military and research vessels. All it takes is a single command for his girl to send down a suit or two to help Rikki out of a tight spot.

“So, is your teacher coming to the barbie tomorrow?”

Tony groans out loud. He glares down at his steak in protest. He refuses to look up at his wife even though he can hear her giggling. He was just asking for that though. 

Because Tony Stark is taking magic lessons. 

Originally, he wasn’t going to approach the Masters of the Mystic Arts until Strange became the new head honcho. But the entire Expo had completely derailed his plans. Tony was off his game and spiraling badly. Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy tried to keep him on track, tried to keep him from obsessing over ‘Skip’ and all the ways he could make the little creature disappear. And there were many. There were soldiers, veterans who would be more than happy to take on a job like this and get paid with enough money to live without ever having to worry about work or their kids’ education ever again. Hell, there were cops he could pay to make sure the piece of shit got ‘lost’ on the way to prison.

And if his friends thought Rikki was going to try to rein him in they obviously didn’t know her well enough to know better. His wife was more than happy to offer drowning the pest if Tony just said the word. And he believed her, he believed every word she said.

Oh, the temptation.

He never really got the chance to follow through with any of those options though. Frank “The Punisher” Castle took care of it for him, not that Tony knew that’s who he had met that day, not at first. Not until the cops that were transporting Skip were knocked unconscious and the police van stolen with the pedophile still inside. Castle didn’t bother trying to hide his face and Tony didn’t have to lift a finger to get the man out of trouble. The guy was on the FBI’s wishlist and they wanted the vigilante onside. Someone was convinced Castle could be brought in from the cold but even Tony could tell that was a lost cause.

His target was found outside the precinct three days later.

His body brutalized and barely recognizable. A tape was attached to the body, of the filthy piece of trash confessing his crimes against not only Peter but about a dozen other kids, too. It was the first time in weeks Tony felt a measure of control come back to him and it was the first time Peter slept soundly, too.

There was no way Tony was going to hide the fact that his abuser was dead. Oh, no. Tony talked the Punisher up into this avengeing (ha!) angel that rights the wrongs that regular cops miss. 

And yeah, he knows its wrong to tell his kid that what Castle does is a good thing but if it will help him sleep at night? Tony will tell Peter whatever he needs to. Of course, this led to an insatiable curiosity about the man himself and Tony promised his son he would meet his hero. (His second favorite hero since his first is his dad who made the monster go away). Rikki didn’t argue against it since Peter’s a kid and Castle would never hurt a hair on his head. But she did warn him that Castle had a problem with other people and he might not be too happy to see Tony. It was still a chance that Tony decided to take. They spent several hours on that bench, Tony pouring his heart out to the guy and crying during his entire breakdown. Hell, the guy kept him grounded and talked Tony down from doing anything besides take care of Peter.

It took Tony two months to get Castle to come around, despite learning the man was a complete mess. 

He meant that in the nicest way possible, of course. The guy was a wreck, in a controlled, crazy sort of way. He was definitely psychotic but in a way that was so focused, you couldn’t tell until it was in your face. Around Peter? The man was a fucking marshmallow. The only regret Tony had about this was Frank’s dog, Max. A pit bull that is as soft as his owner and who Peter loves playing with. Because there is no way he’s going to get Peter a dog and get stuck cleaning up after it. No. Just no.

And really, Tony did the only sensible thing he could when Peter locked his sad Bambi eyes on him.

He hired Frank to babysit. With Max. 

But the entire incident and the mess that followed made it very clear to Tony that he was not in any way in control. No matter what he tried, he was still just a man. A powerful man, no doubt, but still with some very hard limits.  So, he did what he always did when presented with a problem. He found a solution.

Tony Stark discovered he had previously undiscovered limits. He went to push them.

So at the end of September he went to the New York Sanctum and asked to be taught the Mystic Arts. 

He didn’t want to assume he could just meet with the Sorcerer Supreme. He just asked for basic training and a way to keep his friends and family safe from telepaths. Tony knew they would never accept money so he offered resources like groceries as payment since he could in no way fully commit to the order like a true pupil. He figured it was a good trade off and almost got into an argument with a few of the sorcerers about it. Apparently refusing to cut ties to the material world was a thing.

The entire matter was settled after five minutes of drinking tea of all things, with the Ancient One. The lady simply smiled at him with this whole mysterious air magic thing going on and then wished him the best in his studies. 

That’s how Tony Stark ended up becoming a student to one Daniel Drumm, Master of the Mystic Arts. He had a schedule and homework and everything.

“Dan-Dan is coming.” Tony finally answers after he finishes his steak.

“You told him what was on the menu, right?”

“Meat, meat, something maybe vegan, and drinks from all over the rainbow.”

“Does he think there are actual rainbow drinks?”

“I-no.” Tony sighs. She’s never going to let him forget the time he turned all the drinks in the mansion into the colors of the rainbow. Same taste, though and Peter thought it was pretty damn cool. “I walked into that one.”

“You feeling off from earlier?” Rikki carefully wipes her mouth so she didn’t smear her lipstick and puts her napkin down to link their hands together. “I didn’t ask before but are you okay? I know seeing her pissed me off but you’re the one dealing with all that tripe.”

Tony grins at their joined hands. He felt ridiculously happy seeing the way her ring sparkles in the low light. He should get her a new one. Something  better one made with a blue diamond to match her crystal necklace. He should get her matching earrings, too. Maybe a watch for Peter? Something vintage or retro? Disney? No Lion King for one or Bambi or anything involving parents dying. What is it with Disney killing off parents anyway?

Rikki won’t mind a new ring. Not really. She’ll roll her eyes and make a small fuss but wear it anyway since she knows how much he likes seeing her wearing the things he buys her and accepting gifts is not charity. Peter will spazz a bit, not completely used to getting so many gifts so often. But they have adjusted to the wealthy lifestyle pretty well. Rikki more so since she had made a life for herself before Tony ever came along. Peter slowly coming around that it’s okay because Tony is his dad and he wants Peter to have nice things. But they still have their quirks just like Tony. Peter still thinks shrimp are only for special occasions and Rikki thinks all seafood is a major food group. 

“Yeah.” Tony feels like an impossible weight has been placed on his shoulders and, yet, he feels almost lighter than air. “Just a little on my mind. I left SHIELD to the sharks in legal for now. The program with NASA has been approved and a bunch of the southern states can expect several more factory jobs to open.”

“You doing the college incentive thing there, too, right?”

“Those factories won’t stay open forever so making sure if anything happens the workers have something to fall back on is a big plus. The politicians in those states love it, too.”

“And you.” 

“And me.” Tony agrees. He knows she’s still nervous about his plans going forward. That’s why he invited Bruno to the cookout tomorrow. If anyone can answer all of Rikki’s questions and ease her into it, it’ll be the guy secretly running his campaign. “But it really won’t come in handy until later.”

“When you lay it out like that...it does sound like a lot.”

“I’m delegating. Trying to anyway.” Tony knows it’s something he should get used to doing. But that’s what he did with Stane and it fucked him over. Realistically, he knows not everyone is like Stane but his gut won’t let that lesson go so easily. “I’m having JARVIS check everyone over twice over though. Just in case.”

She nods, agreeing. Which is not a big surprise to Tony considering Rikki’s trust issues are about as big as his. The only difference is the consequences of trusting the wrong person. Rikki stands to lose a lot more than just money or potentially dangerous property.

“You think Peter will be okay with that?” 

“Pepper suggested we, well, wean him into it.”

“Wean him? What does she think he is, a dog?” Rikki narrows her eyes, temper sparked just a bit.

“Poor choice of words.” Tony hurries because Pepper and Rikki were just starting to really get along. They weren’t best friends but they’re civil and he suspects it’s because Rikki isn’t so forthcoming with all of her secrets. Or just The One and Pepper thinks the worst because of it. “More like help Peter get his feet wet. There are other high profile kids who do the same but we’ll do it better obviously.”

“Obviously.” Rikki runs her thumb over the back of his hand. Temper successfully soothed. “You plan to have a few suits there? Wherever you’re thinking of doing this.”

“Weeelll…” Tony stalls a little. “I was thinking we could go to the Oscars since its on a Saturday and we can always leave early.”

Rikki is silent for a moment and takes a sip of her wine. She’s thinking hard about this. If she were Pepper he wouldn’t have bothered asking but his wife acts like she’s Peter’s mother. Whether she realizes it or not, Rikki looks out for him. She keeps an eye on him, makes sure he eats and she’s even made sure he has plenty of games and toys to keep himself entertained. She cares about him, connects with him so easily it's like they were never strangers to begin with. Heck, she got him the games that inspired Tony’s Christmas gifts. If there is anyone who can tell if this is a good time for Peter to come out to the public, it’s Rikki.

“I guess.” She starts slowly but then moves on more confidently. “So long as we leave early. But we really should have it…”

“...moderated. Yes. Yeah. Definitely. We get him dressed up, we show up for a few hours, leave and get dinner. I’m thinking pancakes. Pancakes, sausage and bacon.”

Rikki huffs at him and tilts her head, smiling. She says nothing. Doesn’t interrupt him or tell him to eat better. But he knows she isn’t silently making fun of him or judging him. His wife would never stay silent if she thought you were a damn moron.

“It would be Peter’s reward for, uh, coming to the boring party.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize the Oscars were such a boring party. It’s no wonder so many people show up for it.”

Tony laughs because Rikki’s sarcasm is a fucking treat. She only brings out the complete and utter disdain for people she really does not like. In her defense, there are a lot of people who make really, really stupid decisions.

“Bah.” Tony grin widens. “We geniuses have higher standards than that.”

“Hm, anything with explosions, I’m guessing.”

“Of course! Fellow geniuses and pyros welcome.”

That gets a full laugh out of her. Head thrown back and unrepentant joy pouring out of her. 

Beautiful.

“Look! Look! He’s evolving!” Rikki leans over to watch as the digital animal, a Pokémon, glows on the screen. It’s form changing before bursting from the light as something new.

“Ooohhh.” She grins at him. “A Nidoking. You might give me trouble.”

She had gotten him the newest Pokemon game, Soul Silver, when it came out. It was a way to help ease Peter into their more...expensive lifestyle. Well, more like showing Tony how to reign it in. Designing Peter’s bedroom after Star Wars is one thing but the horses were something else. No one needs to know a ten year old got an entire ranch and three purebred horses while he was still in training. That’s just asking for Peter to get picked on, taken advantage of or beat up for money. Or maybe all three. Then if the kid comes home with so much as a bruise Tony will fly into a puffed up rage. Which will lead to Pepper coming to Rikki to whinge about Tony. Honestly, did she think that Tony would change to be like everybody else? The man is a genius. Normal was off the table years ago. 

Just because the inventor has a kid does not mean he’s magically a regular joe. If anything, everything to do with Peter made things worse. 

Tony is officially turning into a mother hen and Pepper getting on their case will not help with that. Rikki has a good idea that some more time with his therapist will help Tony ease off. Keyworth has been an amazing help for Tony over the past two years. Now with the new therapist for Peter, Dr. Noelle Akopian, an older black woman who thinks Peter is cute and ‘spirited’, both of them are settling into a normal routine. Well, normal for them anyway. Akopian had said she’ll be working Peter up to family counseling with them soon and that makes the mermaid a little nervous. A little boxed in. 

The irony is that Peter helps. 

The games she bought are both decent and popular enough for kids his age that he won’t feel left out if he talks about it in school. Tony was also getting better after the horse incident and was not trying so hard. He got Peter more books and LEGOs than anything else. He spent time with him, talked about science and watched movies together.

Rikki hadn’t counted on Peter asking her to play with him but she figured why not. It was a fun enough game, too. She had picked the other game, used the fire starter and Peter had been stuck between the grass and water. Then before she knew it, Rikki had gotten sucked into the game and was trading game lingo with the ten year old. She’d be more embarrassed if the look on Tony’s face when they got into it wasn’t so hilarious. It reminded her of spending time with Eliot, Emma’s little brother before they went off to travel the world. She made sure they put the games down when lab time came around though. Rikki was no scientist but she did love thinkering a little.

Tony had gotten her a couple motorbikes and motorcycles to play with. A few classics the three of them started to rebuild after she got stuck trying to fix the axle. She might give Peter one of them when he’s older. Maybe. Unless Tony tries to beat her to it.

“What’s this about a king?” Tony leans over their shoulders, squinting a little to look at the screen. “That looks nothing like a king. It has spikes and its face. Ehh. How is this supposed to be fun? I can do better. Just give me a few weeks-“

“-okay.” Rikki gets up from her seat, closing the 3DS and reaching over to do the same with Peter’s. “Time to put these away before your dad gets ideas that make Pepper scream.”

“Hey, now! All of my ideas are great!” Tony calls to her as she walks away, ruffling his kid’s hair.

“Pepper didn’t think so when you got blown up by bad guys.”

“I did not get ‘blown up’. It was a scratch. Pepper’s just a worrywort. I was fine!”

“Rikki said you were hit by a tank.” Peter adjusts his glasses, new and improved of course. “Then she said you were, um, you were dumb for standing there.”

“I did not stand there!”

“Yes!” Rikki calls back as she puts the game systems in one of the cabinets. “You totally did!”

“And that’s why Pepper yelled at you.”

“Betrayal!” Tony feigns outrage. “In my own home!”

Peter screams when his dad dives for him and tries to dodge his hands. He fails since his dad’s arms have a longer reach. The room is filled with a ten year olds’ high pitched laughter as Tony attacks all of Peter’s tickle spots. A whistle cuts through the air, turning heads to the other side of the room where Rhodey stood, dressed down in a pair of comfortable jeans and plain dark gray t-shirt, grinning at the father and son on the ground. 

“Started without me?”

“Uncle Rhodey!” Peter wiggles out from Tony’s grip before hurrying over to the other man. The genius flops on the ground, feign sulking.

“Strange, it's like I’m not even here.”

“Relax you big baby.” Rikki says as she holds out a hand towel and a pair of tongs. “The meat is already next to the grill.”

“Wait. I’m grilling?”

“Tony’s grilling?!” Rhodey snaps his head up from where he’d been talking to his nephew. “Why?”

“Uh oh.” Peter sings looking between the adults. He can already see the chaos coming their way.

“Tony’s a big boy.” Rikki rolls her eyes at Rhodey. “And if he can use a furnace, he can grill some burgers.”

“Why is Tony using a furnace?” 

“What’s wrong with me using a furnace?” Tony scrambles to his feet, taking the towel and tongs, his voice baffled and a little hurt. “Where’s the confidence Platypus? The belief?”

“It died when you almost cooked us alive in college.”

“How did you do that?” This is one story Rikki has definitely not heard before. Wait. “How does a person almost cook themselves in a dorm room?”

“I was using a highly complex-“

“-he was too lazy to leave his room and tried to make a fu-freaking stove using rocket fuel. It was a miracle it didn’t blow us and the campus up in flames.”

Peter’s jaw drops. That sounded really dangerous! But his dad was always so careful during lab times. Well, Uncle Rhodey did say it was when they were in college so they had to be way younger. So young his dad probably didn’t know how to be safe just yet. It’s a good thing he’s a lot better now.

“That was years ago-“

“-it left a mark on my soul, Ri.” Rhodey looks so pained, the blond almost feels sorry for him. Almost.

“So long as Tony leaves the grill the way it is he’ll be fine.” Rikki pointedly ignores the nickname. Tony and Rhodey have been trying to find one for her ever since the Expo disaster. They’ve failed to come up with one that is any good so she pretends not to hear them. “Come on Peter, you can help me make the smoothies.”

“Can we have mango?” Peter quickly hurries after the blonde and past her for the kitchen. 

Helping m-Ms. Rikki is one of the highlights of his day, anyway. Peter likes it better when all of them work together to make dinner. They really feel like a family then. Or better yet, when they all take a visit to Grandpa Terry in Australia for the weekend and eat BBQ chicken in the backyard near the water. 

“Wait a minute-“ Tony starts to protest. He likes that his kid likes spending time with his wife but dammit he wants to hang out with Peter, too!

“Whatever you want, kid.” Rikki calls out over Tony. “Let’s leave these old guys to catch up, yeah?”

“Excuse you!” Tony calls out in faux offense and his best friend throws his head back with a laugh.

Tony only sulks for about a minute or five while walking to the grill. Like Rikki said, it was already set up and waiting for him to throw the meat on. Seasoning was always tricky business for the mermaid so she probably had one of the staff do it for the ribs and steaks. 

“They get on pretty well.” 

Rhodey had followed him out to the patio where the grill is. The entire area is heated, of course, to keep the winter cold at bay. It wasn't there before but after seeing what Rikki’s powers did to his floor when she felt like heating the place up, he had something put in place. 

“Yeah, I kind of love it really.” Tony starts with the burgers on one side and the ribs on the other. He places the sausages on another rack. “She did say she wanted a kid or two before. I guess Peter is good practice.”

“Yeah?” Rhodey has known his friend for years. Has known how adamant he was about not wanting kids. “You okay with that? Having more kids? I remember you saying kids were gross germ machines.”

“Well yeah…”

“But now it's different.” 

“Yeah.” Tony sighs after making sure the grill was on and then closing it. “Having Peter is…an experience. He’s a bit of a clean freak and I think it's worse seeing how careful Rikki is. I might have to talk to his therapist about that. But he’s also just a...a really good kid.”

“Hard to believe he’s yours?” Rhodey takes a seat and watches his friend, looking for anything that says Tony is feeling overwhelmed. “Especially after how he was conceived?”

“Really?” Tony turns to glare at the other man, not in the mood to sit down all of a sudden.

“I’m just seeing where you’re at, Tones. You know I don't mean anything by it. I worry. We all do.”

“Rikki doesn’t.”

“And that doesn't raise red flags?”

“She asks if I talk about it in therapy.” This time he rolls his eyes. Even now his friends have a hard time getting a good read on his wife’s personality. “She won’t make me talk about it until I’m ready and so long as I’m taking care of myself, she trusts me.”

“That’s it?” 

“What do you mean, ‘that’s it?’.” Now the inventor is offended. He really is. How hard is it to get what he sees? “Rikki’s not really a worrier unless I’m worried. She’s a big believer in stress relief by the way. Can’t really give my best if I’m too stressed you know.”

“Oh everyone knows how much stress relief you get up to.”

“Excuse you, what is this, beat up Tony Stark day? And I’ll have you know I’m now happily married. Happily.”

“Sorry, Tones.” Rhodey has the decency to be sheepish at least. “But I do see the good they do for you. I mean it. Rikki and Peter are better than I could ever hope for. You can’t blame a guy for looking out for his little brother, can you?”

The genius can feel his face starting to burn and quickly turns around to check on the burgers. It's not the first time his platypus has mentioned them being family and he can’t feel it in him to brush it off like before. It’s a good thing, like a warm compress where his arc reactor sits in his chest.

“But back to having kids.” Rhodey jumps back in after the genius stays silent for a while. “You really feel up to having another one?”

“With my wife? Yeah. She didn’t want any before because of her background. Growing up poor left her an even poorer impression of kids.”

“I remember her entire life story being splashed all over the tabloids.”

“Rikki hated that and we had to call her dad about whether he should give an interview to take some of the heat.”

“You serious?” 

Rhodes can’t picture it. He’s met Terry a few times. They get along pretty well. The guy was laid back and offered the airman a place to sleep while out. He’s taken the man up on his offer a few times. When he was off duty, they’d fish or watch sports. Terry was the picture of stress free retirement. 

But the man also loved his daughter. Adored her, really.

Rikki Chadwick Stark is the only star in his eyes. Even before she was ‘married’ to the most eligible billionaire on the planet. He raised her to be independent and confident. But not even Terry ever thought Rikki would go as far as she did. The man was proud when she had her own restaurant and he worried when she left that but he didn’t step in. He didn’t interfere when she told him.

Terry trusted his daughter.

Rhodes can only imagine the man’s surprise when his daughter turned herself into a millionaire. If the man was proud before with a simple store, there aren't words to describe how he must have felt when Rikki went even higher. When she became a successful entrepreneur, advocate, and philanthropist. 

Rhodes figures there must be something to knowing your kids are okay. That they’ve gone farther than you could ever dream for them and when one day you pass on, you can be at peace. Maybe that’s why he feels so relaxed around Terry and why he’s okay with Peter calling him grandpa. The man feels secure his family is well taken care of. Thinking of it like that, it isn't a real surprise he offered to do an interview but the man was so laid back, it was hard to see him taking on a tabloid reporter looking for dirt.

“I had PR send someone over to really show him what he’d be signing up for.” Tony closes the top after flipping the burgers and takes a seat next to his friend. “Terry surprised us with agreeing. But he didn’t want Rikki’s mom to try and capitalize on the whole thing.”

“I saw a segment on TMZ about it.” He does not touch the ‘mom’ topic. Terry and Rikki have made it very clear how they feel about her. Hell, Rhodes didn’t even know her name until the interview. So Terry speaking up to keep her from trying to walk back into their lives isn’t a big surprise. But he also remembered how big a deal it was. It was pretty crazy. An exclusive interview with Rikki’s father and how he ‘speaks up about the couple’. “But they were kind of nice?”

“Oh yeah, Terry was really good. Like freakishly good during the interview. The PR rep only had to cut in once when the parasites tried to bring up his ex wife to rile him up using the usual tricks. Terry spent like ten minutes messing with them using really old Aussie slang. I loved it.” Tony grins thinking back to the entire interview. JARVIS had to translate the slang for him but it was worth it.

“They played part of that.” Rhodes laughs. That’s why he even bothered to pay attention to it. Well that and the fact it was Tony’s father-in-law making the interview. He always pays attention to anyone close to Tony making a statement. Especially after Stane.  “Everyone loved it too and it amped up the whole father-daughter relationship. They called him a Zen Master.”

“He’s that and a little shit. I think it's something in the water over there.”

“Why would you tell me that? I drank their water!”

“I doubt it's super effective. You’re still pretty high strung. We’re having a cookout, you should be relaxing not worrying about how my therapy is going. It’s going great. I’m sleeping and Peter’s sleeping. We’re all eating healthy. Life is good.”

The soldier looks at his best friend and sighs. He does see it. He’s glad he can see the difference between now and before. Tony’s been eating better, has a more regulated sleep cycle, and he’s cut back on the drinking. A lot. Even more than when the couple first got together. 

Rikki has real feelings for Tony, deep too and she isn’t ashamed or afraid to show it. She’s also not afraid to tell someone off for it or for Tony. Which Rhodes really likes. After people like Sunset and Ty and Stane, Tony needs someone in his corner who is loyal and honest. He still remembers the phone calls during Tony’s kidnapping and how adamant she was that he was alive. Tony was out there waiting for help and if Rhodes didn’t find him she’d fly out and look for him herself. At the time he thought she was as emotional as he was and he didn’t take her seriously. 

Now, though, he believes she would have done it. She would have found some way to Afghanistan and searched every inch of the desert until she found him. The weather had been near apocalyptic and he’s still sure she would have marched her way over.

“I’m happy for you, man. Really.” He leans his shoulder against Tony’s and shoves him a little. “And screw you, I’m plenty relaxed. I’m chill. Peter will love me more once he gets his Christmas gift, too.”

“Ha! You wish.” Tony’s grin turns down right devious. That’s a sign to Rhodes the genius inventor made something he’s damn confident will knock everyone’s socks off. “Peter won’t ever let my gift go.”

“Big words.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“Never little bro.” And like a mature combat veteran he claims victory. “Especially not when Rikki finds out you burnt the food.”

Tony rushes from his seat so fast, Rhode feels no shame in laughing at him. The offended screech the younger man will deny making reminds him of simpler times. Not happier, just, not so complicated. At MIT, Tony was this scrappy little thing with a father that drank and had expectations that were too high. He protected him the best he could but there was still too much drugs, sex, and alcohol to be healthy. But there were also no board meetings, warlords, generals or Stane to contend with either. There wasn’t an entire world of war and blood eager to squeeze power from Tony Stark like he was the holy grail. 

And what could he do? What could a nobody black man do then? What could a random black soldier do for his rich white friend he saw as a brother?

Nothing. 

That’s what. It was a terrible sort of powerlessness he felt then. Sometimes he still feels it. Not as much now. Not since Tony told him what the Expo was really about and the Widow. Not since Vanko took his own life and the suits rallied around them like an angry hive of bees. 

Tony Stark is a hero. 

No matter what anyone else says. 

Rikki’s voice still rings in his ears. ‘He’s a bloody hero and he doesn't deserve to be left behind. Or is that only true while it’s convenient for you?’ She’d been right then and she was right at the Expo, too. Rhodes had been furious at the implication that he’d ever leave his friend behind but his actions when Tony shut down the weapons division did not help. And the way she looked at him. Not the way a racist sees a black man, no, he thinks it might be the way he looked at the gold diggers and hanger-ons Tony attracted. It's a look he’s seen Pepper give the blonde some days. 

Like a Threat. 

As someone who can hurt Tony, who can betray him and leave him reaching for a drink. It stung. Rhodes is self conscious enough to look back and say he deserves that, though. Tony had gone through something traumatic and instead of supporting him, he’d turned on him.  He didn’t think about why his best friend reacted that way, instead he got mad at him. Rhodes managed to make up for it at the Expo but the guilt still bothers him. So if that means he’s a little more protective and if he hovers a little more, well, Rhodes isn’t going to be sorry about it.

“Food’s safe.” Tony glares at the other man over his shoulder. “Thanks for the scare by the way, Rhodey bear. I appreciate, truly.”

“You’re welcome Tones.” He gets up to grab himself a burger. The ribs weren’t going to be ready for a while longer. The buns and toppings were here, too. “Speaking of your wife…”

“Hmm?” Tony grabs his own plate after checking on the ribs. Having a family looks really good on the billionaire.

“I was just wondering about her thing. Her water thing.”

It's the first time he sees Tony give him that Look. It’s not the Merchant of Death and it’s not the Playboy. Rhodes has only seen this one a few times and all he can count on one hand. The most recent time being the investigation with Stane and the FBI’s work hunting down his co-conspirators. It was the Stark Genius at the forefront, studying him and his motives.

“Like my hand thing?”

“Just wondering if she ever told you why.” 

It didn’t need to be said that Rhodes knew about Tony’s aversion to having people hand him things. It wasn’t so bad before his kidnapping but after? After it was glaringly obvious and Tony made it very clear to the people around him. Before it was from having various people take things from him. Money, sex, and even his time, all taken with or without his permission. After his kidnapping, it was more than that now. It was the crowds and lack of feeling safe. It’s the best way for the genius to tell others to ‘get away’ without showcasing just how bad his PTSD really is.

“She told me before I left.” Tony takes a bite and walks back to his seat, glancing inside to see just where his family is. “It’s pretty important to her. It’s why I haven’t told you.”

“I get that. Just wondering if she’ll give me a chance, is all.”

He follows his friend back to their seats. Rhodes won’t push the issue but it has bugged him for a while. For someone who made her fortune diving for priceless treasure, it’s a big deal to be scared to get wet on land. There are a few videos of her rushing from the room after being splashed. PR has spun it to make her reaction due to decency and not an actual fear of getting wet. Pepper was the one who noticed and pointed it out to him. He’d pointed out Tony’s issue with being handed things as an excuse because he didn’t know. But he also didn’t want to make something a big deal if he didn’t need to. Tony would have a hard time forgiving him if he did that and ruined something that’s been good for him.

“It’s not up to me, honey bear. I can ask but it’s her choice.”

“That’s fine.” 

Anything else is left unsaid when Rikki and Peter come back with a tray of smoothies. Rhodey says nothing when Tony takes a glass from his wife without so much as a twitch. He wonders if his brother even realizes just how much he’s changed. He came out of that cave a little manic and went to see Rikki a frazzled mess running high off of his big reveal. Only for Tony to come back with her, tempered and driven. 

Full of purpose.

It’s another look that’s good on him.

If Bruno hadn’t spent the past year working on a campaign for Tony Stark, getting a read on the man, he almost would not believe who the other guests are. There is Stark’s expected circle: Potts, Rhodes, Hogan and Ms. Chadwick.

Correction: Mrs. Stark.

The woman is a beauty.

That is no question. But she is not just a pretty face. There is a spine of steel and a fire in that petite frame. She was like her husband, refusing to conform to anything or anyone else’s notion of normal. Or what is acceptable. It is the primary reason she has had such a successful career prior to meeting Tony Stark. It’s probably what attracted the billionaire to her in the first place but Bruno is only guessing. He really could care less but it is something that constitutes are going to wonder and romanticize about. 

She will be a big hit with women, especially entrepreneurs and single women. The kind of role model the future First Lady should be to American women. The only hiccup would be that she’s a non-native but considering she is from a diverse background that will cancel a majority of dissenters against her. The ones who would make a big deal out of it, don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. It would most likely endear her to more minorities than her husband’s competitors. Iron Man will gain a lot of supporters for his actions against his own company. His iconic press conference will work in his favor here, too.

The other side of the coin is her activism. Her, to some, radical views on climate change and ocean conservation. Although with the clean energy avenue that Stark Industries is speeding toward, those “radical” rules will take on a more revolutionary cover soon enough. Water not contaminated by oil spills or sound pollution will without a doubt become the norm in the near future. Even faster if Stark partners with other companies already in the field. It’s a move that will make other environmentalists extremely happy.

Bruno can spin this to their favor, of course. He can spin all of this to his favor. The waves of change are moving rapidly. Most will struggle, senators and lobbyists alike will feel it. Potts’ announcement already had plenty of people and organizations falling into a tailspin and this was only the beginning. From the rough outline Dr. Stark had shown him, all avenues into space will soon be possible and with it, new jobs and new opportunities. For the educated and the hard laborer, the future Tony Stark wants will be a massive boon. 

It will be like the American frontier all over again. Only without the cowboys and more celestial bodies.

Or maybe a few. If the man with the dog is any indication. If his memory serves (which it does) the man is Frank Castle, the vigilante. He recently gained notoriety for torturing and killing an accused and later convicted pedophile. He didn’t think much of it besides being sensational news but looking how he acts around Stark Jr puts a picture into clear focus. News of someone being accused of pedophillia doesnt just reach a killer like Castle by coincidence. Especially since his usual targets are gangs. No, someone would have had to tell him and with enough details for the man to go hunting on his own. 

If that’s the case, Bruno will need to make sure that that specific can of worms stays closed and buried until Stark is in office. Then the Secret Service can do the rest. The last thing the world needs to experience is an infuriated Iron Parent defending his son from public opinion. Funny, yes, nice? Not at all. Terrorists around the world can attest to that. Although it would give activists and women advocates a new platform to use. It would also push Stark’s son into the spotlight in a potentially damaging way. Victim blaming is still prevalent and Bruno does not want to know what would happen should someone try to use that against Stark’s only child. Potential benefits, dangerous precedent if used. So long as it doesn’t pop up during campaign, it won’t be his problem. 

“I’m surprised you showed up.” Speak of the Lady. She does not mince her words, which he likes. There are plenty of people who will not like that about her but in the end, it really won’t matter. She would be the First Lady of the United States and she can say what she damn well pleases. 

“I came for the food.” Bruno gives her a slight grin. “I love a good stack of ribs.”

And, he knows the Starks aren’t likely to accidentally give him food poisoning. Neither the future First Lady or her husband will accept anything less than the best. That means the best food, too. Stark especially since his son is involved. Bruno has seen plenty of overprotective parents but he’s counting the billionaire in the top five with a splash of overkill if he decides to use the suit.

“Mmhm.”

Mrs Stark glances to her husband, who is casually joking with Lt Rhodes at the grill.  The entire mansion was a gorgeous work of art and the entire patio was heated, keeping the brisk winter weather away. Trust a billionaire inventor to know how to have a cookout in the middle of winter in New York. Little Peter Stark will also be a big hit with the public, cute and fluffy. 

“You really think this is a good idea?” She looks back at him, eyes drilling into him. Studying him. It’s a little unnerving but he’d like to avoid a verbal lashing if he can help it. He’s seen enough videos of her to know she can give as good as she can get.

“You don't?”

“I hate how everyone judges Tony already. Going through with this will not make it go away. I’m not going to keep my mouth shut.” 

Ah, there is that vicious streak Stark warned him of. He compared his wife to an orca whale, caring for the well being and survival of her pod. Selfish and selfless at the same time. With a sense of self-control that is both tenacious and impenetrable. The media already has a hard time saying bad things about her since women viewers are quick to step to her defense. Feminist love using her image as an example of both strength and as a victim of misogynists in media. The only hang up some of them have is that she's a foreigner. Although they like to use that too. After all, if an Australian can do this then so can American women, of any background.

“No, it won’t but it also won’t matter. He’ll have you in his corner.” A slight shiver abruptly rushes down his back and looking into her eyes he can already see the cause. He says his next words with care. No need to make a potential enemy. “So long as you believe in him, in his message and ideas, it won’t matter if the whole world turns against him. What matters to him is you and Peter. All he cares about making the world a little bit better for you two. That’s it. That’s all this is.”

“He doesn't need to do that.”

“But he wants to.”

“And I’m supposed to do what? Stand on the side and look pretty?” Mrs. Stark looks every inch the offended confident woman. Bruno loves it. He can already see the type of First Lady she can become. Traditional is not in her nature.

“You can, if that’s what you want. More traditional First Ladies have played that part. There are a few exceptions. Jackie Kennedy was also a journalist. Eleanor Roosevelt was an advocate for human rights, nationally and internationally. Lou Hoover was the first woman to get a degree in geology. Betty Ford was outspoken about issues of divorce, abortion, and women rights.” Bruno started to count off from one hand other First Ladies who contributed to history. “Dolly Madison, Edith Wilson, Rosalynn Carter, and Abigail Fillmore all have been remembered for one reason or another. And it wasn’t because they stood around looking like a life sized Barbie doll.”

She stares at him, studying, searching for weakness. Bruno knows better than to do anything that might make him seem like anything other than loyal to her husband’s cause. The blonde has eyes like a hawk, ready to tear into him. It's a good trait to have in the capital. Politicians will think twice before trying to use her against her husband. They’ll still try but it will be a double edge sword only the real gamblers will go for and consequently pay for. Bruno looks forward to watching it.

“So,” Mrs Stark measures her words, “Tony’s plans must be really good for you to stick around. What do I need to know about you lot, anyway?”

The first hurdle is clear. The blonde isn’t a politician but that’s fine. They can find staff who can pick up the slack for her and who can explain just why Americans are weird. To the Australian, there are plenty of things she doesn’t understand about this country outside of sports. Bruno has a general idea of what can trip her up, gun control and religion to name a few. He can already guess she’s ‘pro-regulation’ when it comes to guns like her husband after his kidnapping and the rampant deaths caused by guns must baffle the hell out of her. The ‘right to carry’ comes up often, he can tell she’ll share the same stance as Stark. 

The other is religion and that’s something he kind of wishes he could skip. 

Australians, generally speaking, do not like even the idea of religious values having influence in law-making. Tony Stark is either atheist or agnostic and that’s probably another reason the couple get along so well. Living in a country that had strong ties to Christianity and Catholicism must rub her the wrong way. Her best method was to ignore it all but having those same ties thrown in her face in the country’s capital might just incite a very real rage with the woman. 

He’s not looking forward to having to explain why any of that is the way it is. 

Although, if he can leave her with the idea of changing it and encouraging her to do something about it, well, the hassle will be worth it. She might just be one of the best First Ladies they ever have.

Christmas Day

The cookout had been a great idea. He knew Rikki had not been comfortable with his idea to run for President and that was due to a lot of reasons. They boiled down to two: her secret as a mermaid and her lack of knowledge about American politics.

Tony knows that she is more nervous about being exposed to the entire country. But he has a plan for that. In the event that she is, he knows he can’t protect her forever, he wants her to have the best protection possible. Sooner or later someone will get a lucky shot of her. Technology was advancing and he knows, he feels it deep in his bones, they won’t be able to hide her secret for much longer. 

But if he was President? She’d have the protection of the very best at her back. So far as JARVIS and FRIDAY can tell, the Secret Service is the only branch of the government that hasn’t been infiltrated. Although with SHIELD the way it is, it is possible that no one bothered to try and Tony will capitalize on that. He already got clearance from the secret service to fund a new training facility and he’s got a meeting scheduled to go over the specs for what exactly the new facility will have.

So, that’s one problem. The other is pretty easy in comparison.

Bruno was a big help and he’s glad she took so well to what he had to say. Bruno can be a smart ass but he knows how to play the game. He can also come off as a professor type kind of guy about politics when it suits him. Lack of knowledge is easy to fix. Pepper would be a good fit to help Rikki adjust to American politics but she’s still a little suspicious of the blonde. There’s a risk in letting this go on and like Rhodey unknowingly pointed out, maybe a risk they don’t need. If his best friend noticed something was up then chances are Pepper and Happy know, too. 

Tony is a little bothered none of them brought it up to him before.

Another thing he has to fix.

“Presents!” Peter runs into the kitchen, bright eyed and way too chirpy for this time of day. “Daddy! Presents! Presents!”

“Breakfast, Peter! Breakfast!” Tony pushes a plate of eggs and potatoes fries toward the ten year old. “We can start opening after I know you’re not going to pass out from hunger.”

“Napkin, please.”

Tony huffs and pulls out a small tablecloth for his kid. The thing is bigger than Peter’s entire lap but he likes it that way so he can tuck it into his neck and have it dangle the rest of the way. Definitely take after Rikki a little too much. Gotta talk to his therapist about it. 

“So I guess I can write Peter off helping me today.” Rikki grinned at the kid to show she doesn't mean anything by it. She sets out plates of bacon and chocolate chip pancakes on the table. “It's fine, I ate the chocolate chips by myself.”

“I can help with lunch later?” Peter asks because he did like helping Ms Rikki in the kitchen. They sometimes made a mess but it was fun.

“Only if I get to join.” Tony put two pancakes on Peter’s plate and poured a little of the organic syrup on top. “I’d like to spend time with my two favorite people in the whole world you know.”

“Sure.” The blonde teases as she accepts a glass of orange juice from Tony. “You can dry the dishes from the dishwasher.”

Breakfast is a light affair. They eat their fill and don’t have to worry about hurrying away somewhere. Rikki likes this time, the down time, best. She has no idea why Americans torture themselves with getting up so early and why they make the kids do it, too. Unless they just want their kids to suffer with them. Honestly, these two need to try her home country for a year so they can see the difference. Australians do not get up before dawn to get ready for school. 

Tony is a special case since he loves making things and going to his lab is like going for a swim to her. 

She’s not to take that away from him. But the man can take better care of himself. Peter is a big help with that. So long as he doesnt get sucked into science either. But Peter’s a kid and he gets tired easier. Taking care of him means taking care of himself so Rikki only cuts in when Tony looks like he’s going to cave to Peter’s Bambi eyes and keep working.

Tomorrow they were going to fly over to Australia to spend the rest of the break with her father and he was only too happy to see them. Mostly Peter since the ten year old was actually interested in trying to fish. Rikki has no idea who filled her dad’s head with fishing. The guy was terrible at it. They’ll probably spend their time messing around with her father’s old bike and watching awful TV.

Tony gets up after they finish eating and clears the table. Peter already bounces away to the living room to the tree with all the gifts. The ten year old was practically vibrating in place. Rikki, like Tony and Peter, hadn’t bothered to get dressed. They had no plans to leave the house. She wore long pajama pants and one of Tony’s shirts. Her genius, however, had on something similar plus a robe in red and gold with matching slippers. The real kicker was seeing Peter dressed the same, robe and all. JARVIS already knows to take pictures to her dad so she just settles into her seat for the present opening.

“Hey now, don’t want to wait for Uncle Rhodey?” Tony walks over to sit next to her. “That’s a great idea. Go for it, kiddo.”

“But-“

“-no, no, nope.” Tony gestures to the large pile of presents. “Open. Go on. My platypus should have gone to bed on time. Don’t worry, we won’t open them all. I gotta show off-I mean, save, we gotta save the best for last.”

“The best being whatever you made down in your lab?” She noticed the closed off section of the lab when she went to make sure her husband was still alive after the last explosion.

“Of course. You can have, like, fifty percent credit.”

“Oh, really?” Rikki’s curiosity comes back with a vengeance. “So what is it?”

“They’ll be on their way up after JARVIS and FRIDAY are doing final checks.” 

“You mean after you already did your own?” Because she won’t believe it for a second if he says he didn’t. Tony would never give away something that might fall apart or fail to work. Never.

“Double checked everything this morning.” He leans in for a kiss to hide his nerves. “You’re gonna love it.”

“Well, considering the last present you got me, I think you might be right.”

Peter jumps on the couch, practically hyperventilating in excitement. There’s an assortment of science kits Rikki had gotten him. Along with a bunch of other things, a drone and new clothes with the Air Force logo and that’s when Rhodey re-emerges from his room to join them. He’s wiping the back of his head with a short towel and a cup of coffee in his free hand.

“What is this?” Tony whines as he lifts one of Peter’s shirts.

“What? Kid’s a legacy, Tones.” Rhodey sniffs, haughtily and takes a seat in the armchair. “What did you think I was going to get him? An army sweater?”

“I love it!” Peter takes his present back and practically glows at his uncle. “Thank you!”

“Great. Good. The rest of the presents now.” Rikki gets up and picks up a box from the pile to give it to the genius. “Open.”

The rest of the gift opening went on with the same fanfare. Pepper was with her family but texted them all a ‘Merry Christmas’ and Happy was spending time with his mother, who was bedridden. She was old and likely to pass on sometime soon. Tony wasn’t going to keep his friend from seeing her.  But the two did leave presents for them and the family made sure to send pictures of them being opened to the two. 

Rikki wasn’t one to make a big deal out of gifts but she does make an effort. Tony gets a Keyport pivot for emergencies and she knows there will be plenty of those. There’s a small bull of Fuzzy graphic socks and Tony’s favorite coffee beans. Rhodey is in the middle from trying to steal a few of those socks from Tony when JARVIS speaks up.

“Sir, they are ready.”

Tony leaps from his seat, slapping his friend’s hand to get his socks back. He tosses the socks away from certain sock stealers and stand facing his family.

“Okay!” Excitement and nervousness make him fidget. Mostly excitement. “So, I have been working on something. For you guys.”

Dum-E strolls in with a little trolly attached to him. Peter waves and whispers ‘hi’ to the robot. There is a big blanket covering the back and hiding the presents.

“I know I said no to the puppy.” Tony grins at Peter before turning to Rikki. “And I know I can be busy, sometimes too busy to go for a swim so I, um,”

Like taking off a bandaid, Tony pulls the blanket off the trolly. Laying there were two animals. Both of them were familiar to the blonde and the ten year old. The larger one was a blue, with fins and a long tail. The other one was much smaller but fluffier with black and red stripes. 

“Wakey, wakey.” Tony claps his hands once and the two on the trolley open their eyes. Rikki’s jaw drops and nearly curses out loud. Rhodey does curse but both are out done by Peter’s excited scream. 

“POKÉMON!” Peter scrambles over to them but stops from touching. The little ten year old is bouncing and babbling in place. “Oh my god, they’re so-and you made them-and can I touch them? Can I? That’s a growlithe and that’s a Vaporeon! They look so cool! And so real! And this is why you asked all those questions, right?”

It clicks for Rikki what Peter’s talking about. There were a few times she saw Tony asking Peter about the game, about his favorite Pokémon and about which one’s he uses a lot. She’d just thought he was connecting with his son, not that he was trying to find out which one he should make for him! She groans low in her throat. Pepper was going to go on a full blown rant. 

”I hope you know, Pepper will never let me hear the end of this.” Rikki gets up and walks over to get a better look. Annoyed to the upcoming lecture the redhead will give but also enchanted with the creatures in front of her. “But they are pretty cool.”

Everything moved so naturally, ears and tails. The water Pokémon trilled at her, its fins twitching and Rikki will deny her fingers twitched, at all, with the urge to touch it. It’s skin was smooth and its head came up to just below her waist. The fire type was a head shorter, reaching Peter’s hip and panting like an actual dog.

”I’ll deal with Pep, no worries there.” Tony grins, his shoulders relaxing at how much his wife and kid were into them. “But one is for both of you. Growly for Peter and water eve for Rikki.”

”Growly?” Peter blinks at his dad, disbelief shining in his soft brown eyes. Yeah, his dad would name a Pokémon something like that. But then Pokémon barks and steps off the trolly, tail wagging. Realization washes over him. “Hi, oh my-really?”

Peter bends down to to pet the dog Pokémon and its fur felt so soft. The ten year old started to giggle when the fire puppy licked his hand and then his face. On the floor, it doesn't take long for the two end up entangled with each other and Tony’s heart melts even more seeing his kid playing with his gift. Turning to his wife, Tony feels his breath catch. 

Rikki sits on the floor, legs folded at her side with the Pokémon’s head in her lap, petting its head fins. Tony is particularly proud of that one since it was so hard to make. Unlike the growlithe, the water type needed to be able to go into the water with Rikki and be able to keep up with her top speed. So while the fire type was done months ago, this one took another month and a half before he even put in the A.I. In the end he did it though. It’s skin was smooth like a dolphin and there were smaller arc repulsers in its feet and beneath its tail for speed. Both were made from last Uru find Rikki came across. So if they came across a magic user, they could take the brunt of the energy and even use that to turn it against the attacker.

“These two are all yours.” He sits between them, soaking up the scene in front of him. At the care and joy they have for his creations. “To protect you and so you aren’t alone.”

”Tones...”

Rhodey finally breaks his silence, taking a seat across from him on the floor. His tone part awe, part shock. Rhodes isn’t surprised Tony was capable of this. He’s seen something like this before. 

Or well, he’s seen pictures of what was turning out to be a pet robot cat and then nothing. Later, Rhodes learns about Tony’s first attempt to make a friend. About how Howard smashed it to pieces and Tony stared, unable to stop him. About how Tony cried and cried despite Howard ranting about Stark Men and ‘Being Made of Iron’.

Rhode wonders if Rikki understands just what Tony has done, what he is offering her.

”They’re made of highly durable metal so no worries about them breaking. The fur is organic and nonflammable. Programmed only to you, kiddo. You’re his trainer now so you have to take care of him.” Tony gestures to the new family dog. It was a real hassle to make sure its fur wouldn’t catch fire or explode when exposed to certain chemicals. On the flip side, anyone trying to kidnap his son will be in for a very nasty surprise. He turns to Rikki and her Pokémon. “Vaporeon can keep up with you on dives and can navigate ocean currents. She can be a great assistant on your next trip.”

“And someone to watch my back just in case.” Without needing to actually say anything she gets right to the heart of it. SHIELD tried to get to her once already. It stands to reason they’ll try again.

”That, too, yes, yeah.”

Her stare turns into a smile. “I love her.”

”Really?” Rhodey doesn’t say anything about how hopeful Tony’s expression is. He isn’t worried though, with how Rikki looks at him. It does bring back memories though.

“Really. Thank you.” She leans over and they share a quick kiss. 

“Yeah, thank you.” Peter stumbles over, his Pokémon right on his heels, and rolls into Tony’s lap, his arms wrapping around his dad’s waist. “Thanks you! Thank you!”

Rhodey joins in the family mayhem, laughing and running his hands through the little dog Pokémon’s fur, with Peter’s permission of course. He takes a picture of them all and sends it to Pepper and Happy. Then joins Rikki and Peter as they badger Tony about getting a Pokémon of his own.

It’s all good. It’s all merry. But Rhodey has known Tony since he was a teenager. He knows his quirks and tells. 

He wonders just what his little brother is bracing for and if he needs to run more practice sims with the War Machine. Whatever it is, Tony won’t face it alone. Rhodey won’t let it happen again.