Aug 27, 2022 - Vegas Mishap, Ch 4 (FR-13)
Aug 27, 2022 - Vegas Mishap, Ch 4 (FR-13)
Author: mmooch
Chapter Summary: Buffy makes a decision.
Challenge: for the livejournal 2022 August Fic-a-Day Challenge
Crossover: MCU
Rating: FR-13
Word count: 1093
Timeline: Iron Man for MCU; post-series for BtVS
A/N: Yes, I saved Tara because BtVS needs her calming presence. I’ll fight anyone who hates on her living!
Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. MCU characters belongs to Marvel et al. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.
Buffy and Giles’ hotel
“Is your biggest concern the attention you’d get as Tony Stark’s wife?” Dawn asked via their magically protected video conference call.
After thinking for a couple seconds, Buffy shrugged and replied, “I don’t see a major difference between an annulment and a divorce, so yeah. This has the potential of outing all of us, and I can’t take that danger lightly. Once that genie’s out of the bottle, it can’t go back in, even after we get divorced when he’s rescued.”
“So you’d have to step back from active slaying for good,” Faith suggested. “I gotta say, B, I don’t see the bad in that. If anyone deserves a break, it’s you. You could still work for the Council if you wanted to. Maybe the first Slayer/Watcher in the history of the Council. You’d know better the issues we have than a normal Watcher…no offence, G,” she added in Giles’ direction.
“I like the idea of her getting a Slayer just as stubborn as her, so she understands my struggles,” Giles teased. “Beep me if the apocalypse happens indeed.”
“Not to be indelicate or anything, but we might have a better chance of rescuing him sooner if you are living in his home and have access to more personal items,” Tara offered hesitantly. She had grown in confidence over the years, but this was a tricky subject and that had her reverting slightly.
“And we all agree that saving him as fast as possible is for the best, right?” Buffy asked, knowing the gang had been talking about that while she and Giles were traveling and meeting with Tony’s people. Everyone nodded in reply, even those that weren’t huge fans of the man due to his playboy reputation.
“Okay, before I make my final decision, I’d like to talk some more with Pepper and the guy who drove us today, Happy Hogan. They’re among the people closest to him. If they have concerns, I’d like to deal with them privately ahead of time. Plus, they can help me understand him more than the tabloid headlines.”
Tony’s home
The next day…
Pepper and Happy agreed to meet with Buffy at Tony’s home when she explained she wanted to get a better feel for the man before deciding on a course of action.
“What’s your favorite memory of Tony?” she asked both of them. “And your least favorite…if it isn’t too personal.”
Pepper spoke first, “When he gave me the nickname Pepper because I threatened to pepper spray his bodyguard - not Happy here - when I wanted to bring an accounting mistake worth millions to his attention. I don’t mind being Virginia, but the fact he didn’t care I went over my boss’ head when she refused to listen to my concerns. Getting hired to be his personal assistant was just a bonus…even if it has its own challenges. My least favorite was the first time I learned that one of my ‘duties’ as his PA was to send off his companions from the night before.”
“Yeah, that wouldn’t have been fun. I can imagine they weren’t the most gracious about it all the time. Believe me, I get the irony that I’m one of those people you normally would have walked out the door,” Buffy replied with a smirk before looking at Happy expectantly.
“He found out my sister was diagnosed with cancer about a month after I started working for him. Not only did he give me as much time off as I needed to be there for her; he also called in the best doctors for her care. He said that as his primary bodyguard/chauffer, I deserved better benefits than he’d offer to other employees. When he blows off my security concerns because he wants to have fun. I get that he needs to cut loose, but my job is to keep him safe.”
That made Buffy chuckle. “They pay you to protect them - or to teach them how to protect themselves - then ignore your suggestions. I feel your pain there. I’ve had to quit jobs because they wouldn’t learn, then blamed me when something went wrong.”
That broke the ice, and they were able to talk about Tony - and Buffy’s - lives for several hours, which helped ease Buffy’s biggest concerns about helping them protect his company. She didn’t want to be married to a creep, and while she didn’t hold him being a weapons’ designer/manufacturer against him (it’d be more than a little hypocritical of her to), some of the other stories the media printed brought up other concerns about his personality.
He wasn’t perfect, which she’d be suspicious if his friends tried to claim he was, but his failures weren’t ones she couldn’t live with…at least temporarily.
Stark Industries
It didn’t come as a total surprise when she was ambushed by reporters when she left the building, but Buffy was curious if it was Stane’s work or someone else on the board who leaked the news.
“Mrs. Stark, what do you think of your husband’s nickname, The Merchant of Death,” one reporter called out. If Buffy remembered correctly, that was Everhart or something. She was particularly brutal on any Stark topic.
While the guards raced to find Pepper to defuse the situation, Buffy looked at the reporter and gave a fake gasp of shock. “Ms. Everhart, right?” When she got a positive reply, she continued, “I’m honored to meet you and can’t wait for the ceremony when you accept your Nobel!”
“Excuse me?” Christine stammered, wondering what she missed.
“Well, clearly, if you have a problem with a weapons manufacturer, you don’t see them as necessary, and the only way that could be is if you discovered how to stop war. Figuring that out would be worth a Nobel Prize for Peace for certain! Since you look constipated, I’m guessing that isn’t the case.
“So, to go back to your question, I think that name is inflammatory and designed to make people hate the work he does. My personal opinion is that as long as Tony enjoys the work that he does and it’s legal, I am happy that he’s doing that work for our country instead of our enemies. If he comes home and decides he wants to grow flowers instead, I’ll be happy to support him in that as well,” Buffy replied, walking to the car with a confidence that stopped the other reporters in their tracks for precious seconds and they were left calling out their questions to the vehicle as it drove away.
A/N: I loved the speech of Buffy shutting down Everhart, so decided to stop it there. FYI, I do hate the nickname. Da Vinci of our Time is a much better moniker for him.
Author: mmooch
Chapter Summary: Buffy makes a decision.
Challenge: for the livejournal 2022 August Fic-a-Day Challenge
Crossover: MCU
Rating: FR-13
Word count: 1093
Timeline: Iron Man for MCU; post-series for BtVS
A/N: Yes, I saved Tara because BtVS needs her calming presence. I’ll fight anyone who hates on her living!
Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. MCU characters belongs to Marvel et al. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.
Buffy and Giles’ hotel
“Is your biggest concern the attention you’d get as Tony Stark’s wife?” Dawn asked via their magically protected video conference call.
After thinking for a couple seconds, Buffy shrugged and replied, “I don’t see a major difference between an annulment and a divorce, so yeah. This has the potential of outing all of us, and I can’t take that danger lightly. Once that genie’s out of the bottle, it can’t go back in, even after we get divorced when he’s rescued.”
“So you’d have to step back from active slaying for good,” Faith suggested. “I gotta say, B, I don’t see the bad in that. If anyone deserves a break, it’s you. You could still work for the Council if you wanted to. Maybe the first Slayer/Watcher in the history of the Council. You’d know better the issues we have than a normal Watcher…no offence, G,” she added in Giles’ direction.
“I like the idea of her getting a Slayer just as stubborn as her, so she understands my struggles,” Giles teased. “Beep me if the apocalypse happens indeed.”
“Not to be indelicate or anything, but we might have a better chance of rescuing him sooner if you are living in his home and have access to more personal items,” Tara offered hesitantly. She had grown in confidence over the years, but this was a tricky subject and that had her reverting slightly.
“And we all agree that saving him as fast as possible is for the best, right?” Buffy asked, knowing the gang had been talking about that while she and Giles were traveling and meeting with Tony’s people. Everyone nodded in reply, even those that weren’t huge fans of the man due to his playboy reputation.
“Okay, before I make my final decision, I’d like to talk some more with Pepper and the guy who drove us today, Happy Hogan. They’re among the people closest to him. If they have concerns, I’d like to deal with them privately ahead of time. Plus, they can help me understand him more than the tabloid headlines.”
Tony’s home
The next day…
Pepper and Happy agreed to meet with Buffy at Tony’s home when she explained she wanted to get a better feel for the man before deciding on a course of action.
“What’s your favorite memory of Tony?” she asked both of them. “And your least favorite…if it isn’t too personal.”
Pepper spoke first, “When he gave me the nickname Pepper because I threatened to pepper spray his bodyguard - not Happy here - when I wanted to bring an accounting mistake worth millions to his attention. I don’t mind being Virginia, but the fact he didn’t care I went over my boss’ head when she refused to listen to my concerns. Getting hired to be his personal assistant was just a bonus…even if it has its own challenges. My least favorite was the first time I learned that one of my ‘duties’ as his PA was to send off his companions from the night before.”
“Yeah, that wouldn’t have been fun. I can imagine they weren’t the most gracious about it all the time. Believe me, I get the irony that I’m one of those people you normally would have walked out the door,” Buffy replied with a smirk before looking at Happy expectantly.
“He found out my sister was diagnosed with cancer about a month after I started working for him. Not only did he give me as much time off as I needed to be there for her; he also called in the best doctors for her care. He said that as his primary bodyguard/chauffer, I deserved better benefits than he’d offer to other employees. When he blows off my security concerns because he wants to have fun. I get that he needs to cut loose, but my job is to keep him safe.”
That made Buffy chuckle. “They pay you to protect them - or to teach them how to protect themselves - then ignore your suggestions. I feel your pain there. I’ve had to quit jobs because they wouldn’t learn, then blamed me when something went wrong.”
That broke the ice, and they were able to talk about Tony - and Buffy’s - lives for several hours, which helped ease Buffy’s biggest concerns about helping them protect his company. She didn’t want to be married to a creep, and while she didn’t hold him being a weapons’ designer/manufacturer against him (it’d be more than a little hypocritical of her to), some of the other stories the media printed brought up other concerns about his personality.
He wasn’t perfect, which she’d be suspicious if his friends tried to claim he was, but his failures weren’t ones she couldn’t live with…at least temporarily.
Stark Industries
It didn’t come as a total surprise when she was ambushed by reporters when she left the building, but Buffy was curious if it was Stane’s work or someone else on the board who leaked the news.
“Mrs. Stark, what do you think of your husband’s nickname, The Merchant of Death,” one reporter called out. If Buffy remembered correctly, that was Everhart or something. She was particularly brutal on any Stark topic.
While the guards raced to find Pepper to defuse the situation, Buffy looked at the reporter and gave a fake gasp of shock. “Ms. Everhart, right?” When she got a positive reply, she continued, “I’m honored to meet you and can’t wait for the ceremony when you accept your Nobel!”
“Excuse me?” Christine stammered, wondering what she missed.
“Well, clearly, if you have a problem with a weapons manufacturer, you don’t see them as necessary, and the only way that could be is if you discovered how to stop war. Figuring that out would be worth a Nobel Prize for Peace for certain! Since you look constipated, I’m guessing that isn’t the case.
“So, to go back to your question, I think that name is inflammatory and designed to make people hate the work he does. My personal opinion is that as long as Tony enjoys the work that he does and it’s legal, I am happy that he’s doing that work for our country instead of our enemies. If he comes home and decides he wants to grow flowers instead, I’ll be happy to support him in that as well,” Buffy replied, walking to the car with a confidence that stopped the other reporters in their tracks for precious seconds and they were left calling out their questions to the vehicle as it drove away.
A/N: I loved the speech of Buffy shutting down Everhart, so decided to stop it there. FYI, I do hate the nickname. Da Vinci of our Time is a much better moniker for him.