Pepper didn't want to leave his side during the reception.
"You handled that well, with the girl," she said. "And of course, what you said about Happy was perfect. But --"
"But you're living in constant fear that I'll run off my mouth and say something to ruin it?"
"Not constantly," she answered. "Only when you're talking."
But she was a woman much in demand in the crowd -- even more than Tony, since some people who were obviously afraid of or intimidated by him found the executive secretary more approachable. So Tony found himself alone in the crowd, and managed to have a series of inconsequential conversations. There were only, after all a few people here who he was really interested in at the moment.
He had noted Matt Murdock and Sam Wilson in the crowd, both openly applauding Sally's speech. And then there was the woman Sally admired.
Sally finished her ginger ale and carefully set her glass aside on an empty tray. Her mom was nursing a sparkling water. Sally knew the story, of how before she was born her mom and Sally's dad, Stephan, had been a little wild. That's what Toni always said -- "a little wild." But Toni hadn't had a beer, or a glass of wine, since her daughter's birth.
Sally sighed. "This -- I think maybe this was a mistake," she said quietly. "I think -- do you think we should leave?"
Toni knocked back the last swallow of her drink and set her glass aside. "Of course not," she said with a familiar, daring grin. "Let's go pay our respects to the host."
Sally giggled with nerves. "Mom, are you kidding?" she said, half-horrified. "After what I said, are you kidding?"
"Nope," Toni said. "C'mon, squirt," she said, taking Sally's elbow gently. "Let's go thank the nice man for his money, and then we can blow this popsicle stand." Her daughter in tow, Ms. Stetins headed for Mr. Stark.
He didn't remember the woman, from this world or the other. He wasn't sure whether she remembered him. The Avengers had saved her life, apparently, but he didn't know if he hadn't participated in that reality or if he'd just forgotten.
But Sally. He remembers Sally.
As she approaches, he holds out his hand, and he really wants not to be thinking about the voices that have suddenly gone quiet, and all the eyes that are suddenly on them. "Miss Stetins," he said. "If you wanted to go to Berkeley instead of MIT, you could just have said so."
"Mr. Stark," Sally replied, taking his hand. "How will I ever found a corporation to rival yours, devoted to my goals for the future, if I go to Berkeley?" She smiled for a moment, then started giggling. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark," she said, " -- I mean, not for what I said? But for laughing and ruining the dramatic tension. My teachers all tell me I'm no good at dramatic tension. I had to be banned backstage during the school play last year, I kept making the cast laugh."
Sally let go his hand and smiled at her mother. "Mr. Stark, may I present Toni Stetins? Mom, this is Tony Stark."
Sally took Tony by surprise, for the second time that night. It was one thing to be hard-headed and defiant in the face of the public. She'd always been like Steve that way. But now she was being almost playful, trying to tease her way out of a serious situation. Like she'd been doing it all her life. Like she learned it from me.
"Ms. Stetins," he said. "It appears you have a politician in the family. My condolences."
And as he shook Toni Stetins' hand -- the girl's mother, her natural parent, the person who really had raised her -- he remembered something else about the Sally he had known, how they had speculated about her budding telepathic gifts. He didn't look at the girl but -- with a skill he had refinted during his relationship with Jean Grey -- he focused the thought in her direction.
This worked out pretty well for both of us, don't you think?
Sally watched her mother accept Mr. Stark's hand. They both smiled, knowing full well the cameras were rolling. "A politician of sorts," her mom said. "So far she's stuck to lobbying and working on campaign teams. We'll see, I suppose." Toni let go of the man's hand and cocked her head, a challenging grin on her face. "For instance, did you know that Sally worked with Katie Power on the national petition against underage registration?"
Sally winced. She hadn't been going to name-drop like that. But you know mom is proud, she thought. Should have expected it.Suddenly, looking at the two of them talking, Sally got the idea that things had worked out really well, for all of them. Almost as though someone had just said it to her. Just as if a voice had whispered, "This worked out pretty well for both of us, don't you think
( ... )
"It's a beginning," said Tony, pointedly ignoring other-Toni's reference to the registration act. "When I was your daughter's age, I was doing. . ." He paused, a little theatrically "Well, it wasn't politics, I'll leave it at that."
By this point, some of the bystanders were obviously actively annoyed that there wasn't a fight, but none of them had the guts to say so -- or to start one themselves. Tony couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or relieved but, then, the audible conversation wasn't his priority.
Ah, so you're not as immune to the Avenger mystique as you'll like us to think. And look at it this way. You look brave and gutsy to your public, I look moderate and good-humored to mine. Everybody goes home and believes what they already believed, only more so. You didn't think this kind of circus would actually change anybody's mind, did you?
No, it won't change their minds, Sally thought, frowning deeply. She wasn't at all sure she had the hang of this. And, oddly, it was making her very tired. She wasn't sure why she felt exhausted all of a sudden, but she did. But people need symbols and rallying points for any cause, she thought at him. The group I help run, this will help them keep morale up. Give people hope.
Like Captain America, she thought suddenly. Sally blushed and sincerely hoped Mr. Stark didn't hear that last bit. She didn't mean to compare her little speech to anything Captain America had done, ever. She respected the man and his accomplishments too much to ever consider that.
Sally's head was starting to hurt. She turned to her mother. "Mom," she said, "I'm getting a little tired. Do you think we might . . . ?"
Toni glanced over, then looked again. "Sure thing, hon," she said, putting her arm around Sally's shoulders in a quick hug. "Mr. Stark," Toni said, "it really has been and honor to be here, and to meet you. Thank you."
Tony was startled and, to his surprise, a bit hurt that Sally was the one moving to end the conversation. And -- just when she had hit that note about Steve.
But he managed an impassive, "You're welcome." And he half-bowed to Sally. "I'm sure our paths will cross in the future, and --" Then his eyes caught Sam Wilson, a few feet away. He had been talking to Matt Murdock, earlier, but the lawyer seemed to have left his side for a moment. "And --" he said, "considering young Sally's admiration for -- certain people -- there's someone I ought to introduce you to." He raised his hand and waved. "Sam --" He spoke loudly, and with a gesture that said he expected unquestioning compliance. "Come here for a minute."
Matt had found someone he knew; Latoya was busy talking to one of the other nominees. Sam didn't have any good excuse to ignore Tony, even if he wanted to (and the tone of voice he was using made him want to).
But, along with much of the rest of the crowd, he *had* been more-or-less discreetly listening to Tony and Sally's conversation; he had been relieve to note that no rescue was needed. But he did rather want to meet this girl, both because of her performance against Tony and because of the apparent connection to Steve in the other world.
So he went ahead and walked over. "Yes?" He smiled at Sally and her mother; and, politely, at Tony, too.
No need for *him* to act less mature than Sally had.
"I'd like you to meet Sally --" He gestured. "And Toni Stetins. Sally, Tony, this is Sam Wilson, who you'll know as the Falcon. Some-time Avenger and one of the first and best practitioners of the kind of community-based superheroing that the Initiative has been trying to encourage and --"
He could see cameras flashing as he spoke. And as he looked from Sam to Sally, he asked himself, Can't you just turn off the bullshit for one second? Sally probably heard that, too.
Hastily, he turned toward Sam. "Now. I'm sure you and Miss Rogers will have plenty to talk about, so I'll just --" He bit his lip. "Yeah. Sorry." And of everybody he could have looked at right then, he turned to Mrs. Stetins. "Your daughter reminds me of someone."
Can't you just turn off the bullshit for one second?
Sally blinked. As she turned politely to Mr. Wilson, she couldn't figure out who Mr. Stark was talking to. She certainly wasn't saying anything she didn't mean, and Mr. Wilson wasn't talking, so that left -- Ah. Mr. Stark was talking to himself. I wonder why he let me hear that?
Sam Wilson was exactly the same and totally different from what Sally expected. Extremely athletic, like so many people in this room. But a little older than some of the others. Not as old as her mom, certainly, but not eighteen anymore. He moved like dancer, a boxer, a karate expert. Actually, he moves exactly like Captain Buchannan. His eyes were intent, but there was clear humor in them. I wonder what's funny? Sally thought
( ... )
Sam hadn't bothered to hide the look on his face at Tony's introduction. In fact, noting the cameras, he rather exaggerated it: hopefully some of those journalists would do their research.
His association with Captain America was well-known, anyway. If nothing else about him.
And then Tony referred to Sally as "Miss Rogers" and Sam--did a bit of a double-take. Maybe he's believing in that other universe more than he claimed.
Or maybe she *does* just remind him of Steve. He looked Sally over: there wasn't any physical resemblance, to speak of, but then, even in the other universe, she was adopted. The politics and the idealism, though, that was Steve-like
( ... )
Sally's mom smiled in real pleasure. "It's really an honor to meet you," Toni said to Mr. Wilson. He nodded and looked back at Sally. She wasn't quite sure what to make of all this, but took a breath and gamely tried.
God, he was one of Captain America's best friends. How can he stand this? She smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I couldn't have done it without my mom's help. She really supported me when I was thinking of dropping the whole thing."
Toni smiled and hugged her daughter around the shoulders. "No, I just let you do what you wanted," she said, smiling fondly.
Sally rolled her eyes at the teasing, laughing back. "If that's how you want to play it," she said, "okay." She turned back to Mr. Wilson. "But what brings you here tonight?" she asked. "Are you -- I mean, I know you've sometimes, uh, sponsored kids for this? If I missed it in the introductions, I apologize, I wasn't always paying as much attention as I should have."
God, he was one of Captain America's best friends. How can he stand this?
Because Steve's gone, and I have to, Sam thought, in irritated reaction to the stray voice, which he thought for a second was someone rude enough to be gossiping about him within earshot. Maybe one of the other teenagers. It had sounded...well, rather like Sally
( ... )
Sally grinned and blushed. "I -- I didn't mean damage, exactly? But I just -- I kept thinking of the people I know online, the powers I know? And I couldn't let them down."
She shrugged. "I'd love to meet your -- Latoya? -- if you see her."
"You handled that well, with the girl," she said. "And of course, what you said about Happy was perfect. But --"
"But you're living in constant fear that I'll run off my mouth and say something to ruin it?"
"Not constantly," she answered. "Only when you're talking."
But she was a woman much in demand in the crowd -- even more than Tony, since some people who were obviously afraid of or intimidated by him found the executive secretary more approachable. So Tony found himself alone in the crowd, and managed to have a series of inconsequential conversations. There were only, after all a few people here who he was really interested in at the moment.
He had noted Matt Murdock and Sam Wilson in the crowd, both openly applauding Sally's speech. And then there was the woman Sally admired.
And then there was Sally.
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Sally sighed. "This -- I think maybe this was a mistake," she said quietly. "I think -- do you think we should leave?"
Toni knocked back the last swallow of her drink and set her glass aside. "Of course not," she said with a familiar, daring grin. "Let's go pay our respects to the host."
Sally giggled with nerves. "Mom, are you kidding?" she said, half-horrified. "After what I said, are you kidding?"
"Nope," Toni said. "C'mon, squirt," she said, taking Sally's elbow gently. "Let's go thank the nice man for his money, and then we can blow this popsicle stand." Her daughter in tow, Ms. Stetins headed for Mr. Stark.
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But Sally. He remembers Sally.
As she approaches, he holds out his hand, and he really wants not to be thinking about the voices that have suddenly gone quiet, and all the eyes that are suddenly on them. "Miss Stetins," he said. "If you wanted to go to Berkeley instead of MIT, you could just have said so."
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Sally let go his hand and smiled at her mother. "Mr. Stark, may I present Toni Stetins? Mom, this is Tony Stark."
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"Ms. Stetins," he said. "It appears you have a politician in the family. My condolences."
And as he shook Toni Stetins' hand -- the girl's mother, her natural parent, the person who really had raised her -- he remembered something else about the Sally he had known, how they had speculated about her budding telepathic gifts. He didn't look at the girl but -- with a skill he had refinted during his relationship with Jean Grey -- he focused the thought in her direction.
This worked out pretty well for both of us, don't you think?
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Sally winced. She hadn't been going to name-drop like that. But you know mom is proud, she thought. Should have expected it.Suddenly, looking at the two of them talking, Sally got the idea that things had worked out really well, for all of them. Almost as though someone had just said it to her. Just as if a voice had whispered, "This worked out pretty well for both of us, don't you think ( ... )
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By this point, some of the bystanders were obviously actively annoyed that there wasn't a fight, but none of them had the guts to say so -- or to start one themselves. Tony couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or relieved but, then, the audible conversation wasn't his priority.
Ah, so you're not as immune to the Avenger mystique as you'll like us to think. And look at it this way. You look brave and gutsy to your public, I look moderate and good-humored to mine. Everybody goes home and believes what they already believed, only more so. You didn't think this kind of circus would actually change anybody's mind, did you?
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Like Captain America, she thought suddenly. Sally blushed and sincerely hoped Mr. Stark didn't hear that last bit. She didn't mean to compare her little speech to anything Captain America had done, ever. She respected the man and his accomplishments too much to ever consider that.
Sally's head was starting to hurt. She turned to her mother. "Mom," she said, "I'm getting a little tired. Do you think we might . . . ?"
Toni glanced over, then looked again. "Sure thing, hon," she said, putting her arm around Sally's shoulders in a quick hug. "Mr. Stark," Toni said, "it really has been and honor to be here, and to meet you. Thank you."
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But he managed an impassive, "You're welcome." And he half-bowed to Sally. "I'm sure our paths will cross in the future, and --" Then his eyes caught Sam Wilson, a few feet away. He had been talking to Matt Murdock, earlier, but the lawyer seemed to have left his side for a moment. "And --" he said, "considering young Sally's admiration for -- certain people -- there's someone I ought to introduce you to." He raised his hand and waved. "Sam --" He spoke loudly, and with a gesture that said he expected unquestioning compliance. "Come here for a minute."
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But, along with much of the rest of the crowd, he *had* been more-or-less discreetly listening to Tony and Sally's conversation; he had been relieve to note that no rescue was needed. But he did rather want to meet this girl, both because of her performance against Tony and because of the apparent connection to Steve in the other world.
So he went ahead and walked over. "Yes?" He smiled at Sally and her mother; and, politely, at Tony, too.
No need for *him* to act less mature than Sally had.
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He could see cameras flashing as he spoke. And as he looked from Sam to Sally, he asked himself, Can't you just turn off the bullshit for one second? Sally probably heard that, too.
Hastily, he turned toward Sam. "Now. I'm sure you and Miss Rogers will have plenty to talk about, so I'll just --" He bit his lip. "Yeah. Sorry." And of everybody he could have looked at right then, he turned to Mrs. Stetins. "Your daughter reminds me of someone."
And with that, he walked away.
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Sally blinked. As she turned politely to Mr. Wilson, she couldn't figure out who Mr. Stark was talking to. She certainly wasn't saying anything she didn't mean, and Mr. Wilson wasn't talking, so that left -- Ah. Mr. Stark was talking to himself. I wonder why he let me hear that?
Sam Wilson was exactly the same and totally different from what Sally expected. Extremely athletic, like so many people in this room. But a little older than some of the others. Not as old as her mom, certainly, but not eighteen anymore. He moved like dancer, a boxer, a karate expert. Actually, he moves exactly like Captain Buchannan. His eyes were intent, but there was clear humor in them. I wonder what's funny? Sally thought ( ... )
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His association with Captain America was well-known, anyway. If nothing else about him.
And then Tony referred to Sally as "Miss Rogers" and Sam--did a bit of a double-take. Maybe he's believing in that other universe more than he claimed.
Or maybe she *does* just remind him of Steve. He looked Sally over: there wasn't any physical resemblance, to speak of, but then, even in the other universe, she was adopted. The politics and the idealism, though, that was Steve-like ( ... )
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God, he was one of Captain America's best friends. How can he stand this? She smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I couldn't have done it without my mom's help. She really supported me when I was thinking of dropping the whole thing."
Toni smiled and hugged her daughter around the shoulders. "No, I just let you do what you wanted," she said, smiling fondly.
Sally rolled her eyes at the teasing, laughing back. "If that's how you want to play it," she said, "okay." She turned back to Mr. Wilson. "But what brings you here tonight?" she asked. "Are you -- I mean, I know you've sometimes, uh, sponsored kids for this? If I missed it in the introductions, I apologize, I wasn't always paying as much attention as I should have."
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Because Steve's gone, and I have to, Sam thought, in irritated reaction to the stray voice, which he thought for a second was someone rude enough to be gossiping about him within earshot. Maybe one of the other teenagers. It had sounded...well, rather like Sally ( ... )
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She shrugged. "I'd love to meet your -- Latoya? -- if you see her."
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