The Holiday continued…
Fury wonders, not for the first time, how things managed to spiral so out of control. He does not rush down the hall but his gait says he means business. The morgue is empty at this time and it also helps that he has a small team, vetted personally, to keep an eye on the parameter. Fury enters the empty room, opens the door and pulls out the tray where the body is laid upon.
He pulls the sheet back to examine the face of former Senator Stern.
Fury had always known the man was a scheming, sniveling power grabber. He had never expected him to be someone worth killing. But he’d looked into the man, dug deeper after the Council had dismissed the man as disposable. He understood. Senators can be replaced. Since this one had failed, another one was being chosen as he stood here.
But he had underestimated the people around Stark once already and unlike the Widow, Fury is not arrogant enough to believe he could still go toe to toe with him. It’s why he’d tried going around him, tried to aim for Potts or Chadwick-now Stark-only he’d underestimated them, too. Never let it be said Fury does not learn from his mistakes. Although, he should have known better.
Stark does not recruit the incompetent. Potts and Chadwick being the competent, independent women that they are, are like catmint to the man. It should have been obvious that they would not have been so easily taken in by Widow’s act but he’d been blindsided to their status as civilians. There are plenty of women Fury has worked with that were civilian and powerful enough to humble people like Widow and Hawkeye. At least one of the Council members is a woman, too, and a civilian with more power in her pinky finger than a small army of soldiers.
Fury knows he got overconfident. He fucked up. He became too used to being the biggest, baddest fish in the sea and forgot that the ocean is a big place. There are other species that can swallow him whole. It’s why he tried to correct his mistakes. His first opportunity to grab hold of Stark failed and while the intel Widow had returned was helpful. It was only a fraction of what he really wanted. He wanted the mind behind the Iron Man suit and the backup ended up dead. Useless.
With Stark in his pocket, the world would have been his playground.
His second attempt, while well thought out, also failed. Stark’s girlfriend, now his wife- how the hell did they miss this? -is one of the best free diving treasure hunters in the world. Skilled enough to make hardened marines jealous and Fury underestimated her. That meant his agents also underestimated her, took her as another civilian to babysit and manipulate without taking her seriously.
But being a free diver comes with serious implications that Fury overlooked. It’s an occupation that requires dedication and a mind like a steel trap. It means being fearless, disciplined, and self-aware.
While the woman is not officially certified, she is undisputedly one of the best swimmers in the world. She has an impeccable international reputation and is also arguably one of the few women with power and influence all over the world, gained on her own merit.
And Fury only wanted her for her connection to nations where SHIELD’s hold is weak and the influence she could exert on her (now) husband. He failed to account for her use as an asset until it was too late. A free diver of her caliber would have easily swum back to shore rather than return to her boat if she thought she was in danger. Of course she could have. Fury pushed too hard too soon on that front, trying to correct Widow’s mistake and ended up overextending himself.
Right now he should be luxuriating in victory and a job well done, having gained Tony Stark as an asset. Instead, he’s getting scraps from the buffet table.
Widow was supposed to integrate herself with the man once the palladium poisoning started to take its toll. Comfort the man when his behavior drove everyone else away from him. At least, it should have worked taking his personality into consideration. But he only realized the man was seeing a therapist after Widow failed to lure him in and he had surveillance increased, to try to find some other way to get beneath his skin. That obviously has had an impact on the man’s reactions to outside stimulus. Everything about Tony Stark will need to be reassessed before a new plan can be implemented.
Fury will not admit he’d abandoned Widow to her failure, to keep anyone from suspecting his changed plans. The plans she’d managed to get her hands on were good and gave him a chance to get agents in place to grab a few of Vanko’s androids. There was just enough left to frankenstein rig the repulsor technology to the helicarriers. It’s not enough for a smooth transition like he wanted and the prototypes aren’t anywhere near Stark’s level. But give it a few more years and they’ll be as good as they can make them without Stark to oversee.
On the other hand, he still wants Stark.
The man is a loose cannon and dangerous. The body on this slab proves it. They know neither Stark or Castle did this. Fury pulls the sheet down further and his eye falls on the man’s caved in chest. The official report claims the cause of death is a car accident but Fury doesn’t believe that for a second. The speed that car was going should have killed Stern and his guards. Instead, only Stern died and the others got away with various if minor injuries.
It takes skill to be able to do all that and get away without leaving a trace. Professional skill.
Something like SHIELD, even.
Fury let’s none of his emotions cross his face but dread crawls into his stomach and stays there. The only explanation is one of his cleaning up and that means someone with greater clearance, Pierce or someone from the Council. It means something is wrong. He laments the lack of resources he’d have if Stark was already in his pocket but that’s why he’s still trying. There are other ways to get into a man’s good graces after all. It’s only a matter of finding the right bait.
Fury returns everything to the way it was and makes his way out. Unaware of the cameras, which should have been shut down, silently following the spy’s progress back outside.
December 29
The crowd loves them.
The applause is fantastic. Picturesque. The kind you see in a romance movie. It’s news and photo worthy for the couple on the dance floor. They move perfectly together, not a single misstep and it’s beautiful. The photographer and videographer haven’t looked away, circling them like small birds scared of getting too close.
Miriam hates it, hates her.
The dance is erotic, hands moving everywhere and the way they look at each other, like they’d go at it right there on the floor. That woman doesn’t even look around her, at the people she’s showing off to and Tony Stark keeps his eyes on her, as if she was worth more than everyone else in the room combined. He’s not the only one either. Miriam sees Zane in the crowd, mouth slack, and eyes glued to the couple like everyone else. Or more likely, stuck on the blonde half.
Her chest burned. There was a fire there, hot and heavy in her breast. This is supposed to be her day. Another testament to her glory.
When the music ends, they are still on the dance floor ignoring everyone around them. Another melody begins to play, slow, and intimate. Stark twirls her every now and then, but keeps her close, holds her close. They are caught up in each other, ignoring how they were stealing this reunion from her. She wouldn’t let them. She wouldn’t.
Miriam resents her pregnancy at this moment. It makes her feel slow and fat. She moves to the nearest table, with a table ornament filled with colored marbles. She had handpicked these marbles, the color scheme, and the decorative bowls for the tables. This specific bowl falls to the floor, marbles cascading out onto the dance floor, and Miriam pretends to list to the side, one hand on her swollen belly. A few people around her, less than she likes, try to help her and she laughs it off as the baby kicking especially hard.
But her eyes stay on Stark and his blonde pet. Only when she slides on the marbles, Stark pulls her back to him sharply, nearly throwing her into his chest where she wraps one leg nearly around his waist and the other around his leg. Stark wraps both arms around her hips to support her weight and her arms go around his neck. Miriam can see from where she’s standing that one of her hands sinks into his hair, musing it up.
And now they’re laughing, like they’re sharing some secret joke. Like that secret joke is Miriam.
The applause grows louder. People have their phones out and have probably shared a video and pictures of them already. Everyone will want her to make some speech when it should be Miriam. The help arrives quickly enough to clean up the mess and she can see Stark hand out several bills to each of them as the couple walk off the floor. The blue dog thing follows them as she takes her jacket. And Miriam burns. When Zane’s eyes follow them, follow her, the heat flashes outward and spreads.
She won’t let her win. Not today.
Miriam makes another circuit around the room, everyone is in a mood to dance and mingle again. She hunts for the weakest in the group and finds Emma Horner, still struggling to make it in the Olympics. Poor thing. It probably doesn’t help that her husband is jobless. Such a pity.
“Hey, Emma.”
“Miriam.” The other blonde turns to her and the peasant she was speaking to is quick to hurry away. “How are you?”
“Pregnant. You know how that is.” Miriam smiles.
“No, Miriam, I don’t know how that is.” The other isn’t taken in with her pregnancy, which is fine, that wasn’t the angle she was going for anyway.
“Right.” She rubs her belly, cradling the protruding weight. “You’re still trying for the gold.”
“Yes. I am. I’m getting closer.”
“So, when will you have kids?”
“Not for a while yet.”
“And, how long do you think a man like Ash will wait?” Miriam smiles sweetly, head tilted just the right amount to be cute and curious. “I mean, you can’t expect him to wait forever.”
She’s hit a nerve. The other blonde’s expression is tense, a whirlpool of emotions just rolling beneath the surface. She grips her glass and presses her lips into a hard line but there’s no comeback. Miriam prepares to cut into her, to pull on that weakness and drag that other tramp down with her when someone interrupts them.
“Oh, Miriam, is that you?” The trashy bitch struts over to them, as if this was her stage, and speaks to her, “Pregnant again, I see.”
“Not showing yet, I see.” Miriam bites back.
“Not pregnant. Did your eyesight go with your common sense?” Rikki smiles, but even a drunk goat could tell it wasn’t a friendly smile. “Then again, I’ve never known you to have any in the first place.”
“Says the dog who had to con a billionaire so he’d marry you.”
“I don’t have to con anyone so they’d put a ring on my finger.” She has the audacity to laugh. “But, you sound jealous, Miriam.”
“Of trash like you? Please. My grandmother can do better and she’s blind.”
“I’d go blind too if I had to see you so often.”
“Rikki!” Emma’s outrage is tempered by Tony Stark walking up and laughing. The rest of their little clique also walk up behind him.
“Don’t worry Emma. I’m not surprised. You can’t take the wild out of the animal after all.”
“I happen to like my wife’s wild side.” Tony Stark’s smile is everything but friendly.
Miriam pursues her lips, making sure to ooze disappointment rather than disgust. Tony Stark was not someone she could take head on. He was far too dangerous. She would need to be smarter about him.
“That’s not appropriate here.”
“If that’s the case,” the other blonde’s grin not slipping once, “you and your blind grandmother can watch my backside as we find somewhere more appropriate to be.”
“I’m sure I can have someone lead you out.”
“No need. I already know where we’re heading. Come on, Em.” She grins at her as she interlocks her arm with Tony Stark. “Party time!”
The couple lead their group out of the hall and Miriam is glad to be rid of them. She turns her back on them, not willing to do as the trash wants and makes her way to Zane, a smile on her face. Victory finally at hand and a flush of heat races through her veins.
Half an hour passes when she realizes the crowd has thinned. There were less people than before. Miriam has her arm locked with Zane with a small crowd around them giving them the attention they deserve. She runs her gaze over the people around her and spies several making their way to the exit.
People are leaving.
Before she has given approval to do so.
“Bro, check it out!” Nate comes to their group and throws an arm around Zane’s shoulder. “Stark and Rikki crashed a wedding in one of the other rooms! We should totally check it out.”
On his phone are pictures of Stark, his bitch and their friends posing with a woman in white: the bride, presumably and the groom.
“That’s so crass.” Miriam stares Zane down, daring him to argue with her. “It's no wonder they get along so well. Animals like animals.”
“Miriam, babe,” Nate’s grin grows and it feels like he’s making fun of her. “You’re a gem but Rikki’s hardcore.”
Miriam grits her teeth and hates how her moment of triumph leaves a sour taste in her mouth. But there will be other opportunities. Even if Miriam has to make them.
December 31-January 1
New Years’ Eve is spent with his daughter, with his son-in-law and grandson. Never could he have imagined this is where he’d be in life. There is a huge house with everything he could want, bikes he could tinker with, a grill and yard near the water. It’s a small little paradise and he knows how to keep busy.
All thanks to his little girl who’s all grown up. She’s done so much, achieved and accomplished more than he ever thought, ever dreamed. Proud does not even begin to cover how he feels about his daughter.
He’s glad she decided to stay for the holiday. Terry isn’t ashamed to say he misses his little girl when she’s not around. But he also understands. Rikki has a life to live and he will not be one of those parents who tries to tell her how to live it.
But he’s got a grandson and a son-in-law, Peter and Tony.
Both are a bloody delight. Tony with his wicked humor and Peter with his happy curiosity. They’ve got great ideas between them, crazy and fun, and Terry’s found himself laughed to tears. Yeah, these two are a riot and he’s so glad he can spend this New Years’ Eve with them. Especially since there’s no telling if they’ll be able to come next year. He might not be a genius like them but he can read between the lines, hear what isn’t being said. Tony has got plans, big plans and no doubt his little girl is going to be right there in the thick of it. So he makes sure to enjoy every moment he’s got.
Terry makes sure there’s enough food on the grill for all of them.
The TV is on, showing the parades, the parties, and other entertainment shows. Peter loves the parades, the costumes and the music. Rikki laughs and laughs and kisses Tony and Terry passes over a plate full of food.
It’s a shame Oreo, which is a good name for a pet no matter what face his daughter makes, can’t eat but the little red and black dog is so excited if he could Terry is sure he’d forget to eat anyway. Terry can keep the little tyke busy though, which is a good thing since he doesn’t want to burn any of the food.
“Hey dad, you’re not inviting anyone?”
“Nope.” He pulls his daughter into a one armed hug, Tony roars as he chases lil’ Pete and Oreo behind them, “I got all I need right here.”
“Sap.” His little girl smiles and kisses him on the cheek.
“Yeah, but you love me.”
He flips the meat to make sure it’s cooked through and through. The speakers placed on the back porch are playing a New Years’ Eve playlist but not too loud they couldn’t hear Peter or Tony roughing it in the yard. It all feels right.
A few minutes later, Rikki heads over to step back into the house, to get the buns and other things.
“Boys!” Rikki calls out once she gets back to Terry and the grill. “Food!”
The other two come running back with Oreo hot on their heels. They’re not as dirty as Terry managed to get with Peter before but their clothes are rumpled, ruining the image of perfection that seemed to follow them around. Tony doesn’t seem to mind looking less than squeaky clean, which Terry likes and thinks is what keeps this little family together.
“Thank you.” Peter says with a smile as the food is sorted. Cute as a bleeding button, this one.
“Not a problem.” Terry ruffles the kid’s hair and they settle in to enjoy lunch.
They spend the next few hours like that. Eating, playing games, talking and watching the parades. Tony makes sure Peter is covered in enough sunscreen to drown a bird and Terry takes pictures of it each time. It gets a laugh out of Rikki, who hands Tony the sunscreen in the first place.
It gets dark and Peter starts to drop off. The little ankle biter was fighting it off but he was losing. He waves a hand to Tony and gestures to Peter, laying against Tony’s side. He looks damn cute, laying on his dad and Terry may not be as up to date like his son-in-law but he knows how to work a camera. Another snap of the phone camera, perfectly timed too, gives Terry a nice photo of his little girl, Tony, and Peter between them. Both parents are looking down at the boy as he falls deeper into sleep with a smile on both their faces.
“Say night, kiddo.” Tony tells Peter as he lifts the ten year old up into his arms.
“Night g’anpa, night mom.”
Rikki freezes, her eyes going wide and her mouth opens in shock. But his little girl has always been a quick one and despite how glassy her eyes get, she answers.
“Night, Peter.”
It’s the last day of their little vacation before they have to head back to face the rest of the world.
Before the couple gets out of bed, Tony asks Rikki to do something her every instinct rebels against. He wants her to go public with being a mermaid. Figuratively speaking, thankfully.
“You want me to do what?” Rikki’s expression is a combination of ‘what the fuck’ and deadpanned ‘are you high right now?’
“Here me out,” They’re still in bed as Tony wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her close. They haven't left the spare bedroom just yet and Tony really wanted to have this conversation before they headed out to Mako. “It’s the perfect cover. What better way to hide than in plain sight? There’s already tons of people who are making waves being mermaids. Look.”
Tony brings up his phone to show her some images and articles that gave him the idea. There were independent contractors who used the mermaid niche to make a living, who gained a following on Twitter and a few who are part of a group down in Florida, who entertain audiences. Tony pulls several profiles of women with realistic tails and the ‘tailors’ who made the tails.
He can tell Rikki is interested and thinking about it from how quiet she is. She takes the phone from him to take a closer look at some of what he’s found. Rikki spends a few seconds longer on the realistic tails, like Tony knew she would.
“You don't really think this will work, do you? No one will be fooled by my tail since it’s, you know, mytail.”
“I’ve got a plan for that.”
Tony takes the phone back and opens another screen showcasing blueprints that look like a mermaid tail. It looks exactly like her own tail, actually, except colored blue.
“I can say I was inspired to make your tail from some of these guys and you can use it as a promotion for your next dive.” Tony had put a lot of thought into this. Ever since the incident on Mako, he’s been working on damage control and how to stop any kind of backlash or future exposure. “Nothing underwater, hard to hide how unrealistic your tail is there. Maybe something on the beach near the waves. Or even in the pool. People love this stuff. They will eat it up. I promise.”
“So, since I’ve already done some modeling, you think a few photos of me as a mermaid out of water will make a difference?”
“I think people will think it’s the start of another conservation campaign by my amazing wife. I think people will think I’m supporting my wife just as she supported my decision to change the direction of my company.” Tony kisses her temple. “I think it’s one more way I can protect my wife.”
Rikki turns away from the phone to look her husband in the eye. She’s a mixed bag of emotions. Not sure what to feel but not exactly feeling bad. She doesn’t need to be protected except that’s not true anymore, is it? And it feels nice to have someone in her corner, trying to help her guard her secret.
“What about SHIELD?”
“I’ve got a few new ideas to handle them.”
She never even thought about doing something like this before, using the truth like a lie to hide the truth. It’s crazy and sneaky.
She kind of loves it.
“This could be big, Tony.”
“Yeah, so? What do ya’ say?”
Rikki takes a deep breath, nervous and scared but not willing to let that make her freeze. She’s emboldened by Tony’s easy confidence, his support and dares to trust this reckless, genius man.
“Okay. Okay. Let’s do it.” They interlock their fingers together and Tony kisses the back of her hand.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”
“And you know I’ve got yours.” Rikki presses her lips to Tony, soft and gentle. She brings up something a little more tender to her heart. “Peter called me mom.”
“He did.” Tony’s expression turns sappy, fond and incredibly happy. “Peter so did and you loved it. He loved it and Terry loved it.”
“Oh no,” Rikki groans as she tries to roll over and Tony locks his arms around her waist to keep her close. “No, you’re going to be impossible now. Noooo.”
“You love it. You know you do. Don’t try to hide it!” He laughs aloud.
What follows is a struggle of laughter and love, wrapped in fondness and silliness. Tony kisses her wherever he can while trying to keep her in bed. Rikki laughs throughout, sheets and pillows falling over. They settle with Tony between her legs, kissing her slowly and with feeling. Shimmering.
“Dad! Mom!” Peter thumps, crashes against the closed door with an almost quiet ‘omph’. His Pokémon, now officially named Oreo despite Rikki’s comments, barks right outside. (Seriously, why? She does not understand but Peter is ten so she gives up).
They break the kiss to look over at the closed door before Tony stands up to open it. On the ground is Peter, fluffy hair sticking up at all ends and his growlithe sitting at his side, head cocked cutely.
“Hey buddy.” Tony grins down at him as Peter scrambles to his feet. “Excited to head out already?”
“Yes!” Tony swears Peter’s eyes literally sparkle. “Grandpa already made breakfast, you guys took forever.”
“So you guys ate without us, did you?” Rikki speaks up from Tony’s shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Tell me it wasn’t cereal.”
“Scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes.”
“With juice on the side?”
“Yup.” Peter ends his ‘p’ with a pop and a cheeky grin on his face. “He says it’s your favorite after chocolate.”
“Trust my old man to rat me out.” Rikki huffs a laugh and grins. “Did you brush your teeth, at least?”
“And my bed is made. I’m ready to go. You’re the ones who are late.” Peter tries to glare at them. It’s cute and only leads to Tony ruffling his hair. “Arg! Stop!”
“Never.” Tony promises and ruffles it again. “Besides, your mom and I were just thinking about where to take you for our last day here.”
“Oh.” Peter starts to blush, still slightly flustered at having called Rikki his mom but not willing to take it back. “You said we were going to spend the whole day on the beach. Are we doing something else?”
“Nope. Still going to the beach but we’re going to a special place. We’re going somewhere very important to your mom.” Rikki cuts in.
“For now, get ready for our trip. That means swimmers, sunscreen, sunglasses, the works. Think you can handle that?”
“I’ll be done before you guys get out of your room.” Peter puffs his cheeks and Oreo barks in agreement.
Tony resists the urge to squish his son’s cheeks and Rikki rolls her eyes before shooing Peter and Oreo away. The couple go through their morning rituals easily. Contrary to popular belief, the couple did not take long to get ready for anything unless they’re going for a specific look or message.
Terry is finishing up their plates for breakfast by the time they make it downstairs to the table.
“Right on time.” He gestures to the coffee maker and the refrigerator, letting them know to help themselves. “Figured I’d serve me and the tyke before you since you weren’t already down here.”
“Thanks dad.”
“Have fun and stop by before you leave, yeah?”
“Course we will.” Tony sips his juice. “Peter will kill us with puppy eyes if we don’t.”
“Don’t let the tyke get away with murder with them, now.” Terry laughs and Rikki groans at the two.
“Yeah, yeah. That’s why I’m here.”
“You say that but I know for a fact that you’re just as bad.”
“No way.”
“So you don’t play those video games with Peter?”
“Don’t you have a bike to paint or something?” Her dad smirks, hands raised in surrender.
“That’s my cue to leave. Have fun.”
Rikki rolls her eyes at the wink Tony sends her dad and thinks she can’t see. The mermaid doesn’t say anything else though. The couple finish breakfast and prepare to head out. Vaporeon and Oreo go with them this time.
The real purpose for going back to Mako is so Tony and Jarvis can survey the island. Jarvis already went around with the suits to take down all equipment in an attempt to track down the fake park ranger.
The AI found nothing useful. Everything came from third party manufacturers, sellers, and dummy accounts. It is frustrating. That does not mean they had found nothing. Which gives Rikki some relief. But today, isn’t about work. It’s about them, Tony, Rikki and Peter. The last day of holiday fun before returning to reality and the eyes of the world turn to watch them.