(2) Bring Me Home (T. Stark)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Tony sits on his bed, worrying his hands together a little, spinning his wedding ring around his finger. He doesn't want to admit that what Stane told him has gotten to him. The board of his own company turning against him.

"Tony?" He looks up at Spencer as she closes the bedroom door behind her, setting the baby monitor on the side. "You can't let him get to you" He holds out his hand towards her and she moves closer. Stane had been back. And every time he's here, he upsets Tony in some way. She ignores his hand and instead threads her fingers through his hair, he closes his eyes and leans into her touch. "I..." She starts and then stops, shakes her head, thinking better of it.

"What?" He asks her.

"I don't like Stane" She comments. Tony raises an eyebrow and chuckles slightly.

"Elaborate" He offers, she lets out a breath. "And not at all new news"

"Tony, I know I can't explain it...." She pulls her hand back from his hair. "But it's like this gut feeling" She kneels on the bed beside him. "Like the feeling I got about Afghanistan...." He looks at her, knows it's serious now. "He makes my skin crawl...." She moves closer to him. "I know he's your friend, and he's been around for as long as you can remember...." He touches her cheek and leans closer, pressing his forehead to hers. "But I really, really don't trust him...And I don't think he's telling you everything" He pulls back and brushes his thumb over her cheek.

"I'll be careful" He assures her with a soft smile. "You've got my back, what have I got to be worried about?" He asks her, she smiles at him.

"A lot of things but the sentiment is nice" She pokes his nose and then stands. "It's finished" She whispers, he looks at her, raises an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah?" He asks, she hums and nods.

"Yeah" She agrees. "Wanna try it on?" He nods and leans forward to kiss her firmly.

.......

It's been weeks of them working on his 'suit', working together and taking turns to watch the kids. It's something they're both proud of. Something they've made together that isn't a living breathing little person. Spencer sits at a computer in Tony's workshop, her fingers moving over the keyboard as she types, behind her a humanoid form shifts in the shadows, the light above it flickering on to reveal powerful scaly arms and legs. Steel vertebrae. The intense glow of Tony's RT "heart" through the chest piece.

"How does it feel?" Spencer asks without turning around. Ailerons and air brakes pop up as Tony moves his head and arms, "stretching", getting the feel for his new body.

"Snug" He answers. "But...in a good way" She smirks a little and turns in her seat to look at him now. She bites her lip and nods. She's seen it in pieces. She's seen random parts attached to him. But seeing the suit as a whole has a feel to it. "Like..leather pants" He teases, she snorts and stands from her seat.

"Jarvis" She starts as she moves around Tony in the suit. "Power up" She offers. The suit hums to life as it powers up. "Standby for calibrations"

"Have I ever told you how hot it is when you go full-blown nerd on me?" Tony teases Spencer who smirks and shakes her head.

"Concentrate" She scolds a little, but smiles touching the arm of the suit. "Try the flight stabilisers" She pushes, Tony glances down at the boots and nods.

"Alright" He whispers. Spencer steps back, moving back to the computer to take a seat on the stool. The gauntlets and boots fire up, and Tony rises. "Whoa...." He loses balance, falls back onto the hood of his Saleen, crushing it. The alarm goes off. Spencer smirks a little and looks down. Tony kills the alarm with a blast of repulsor tech. "We should take this outside." He comments as he pushes himself back to his feet.

"I must strongly caution against that" Jarvis argues, Spencer hums in agreement.

"Yeah, Tony, there are calculations that still need to be run....diagnostic checks to go through" She voices.

"We'll do them in-flight."

"Sir, the suit has not even passed a basic wind-tunnel test," Jarvis adds.

"That's why you're both coming with me." Tony counters.

"Excuse me?" Spencer asks him, Tony just smirks inside of the suit.

"Jarvis" Tony starts. "Would you be a dear...."

"Project Hellfire?" Jarvis asks, Tony hums in agreement. Spencer snorts and shakes her head as the computer screens shift, bringing up the heads-up display from inside Tony's suit as he loads Jarvis into the onboard system. One screen shows a camera feed. Another all relevant systems data. Spencer glances from Tony to the computer.

"You can also access it from your computers in your office," Tony tells her with a shrug as she touches the keyboard. "We're in this together" He promises her. "Sooo" She smirks a little and turns her seat to the computer. Tony relaxes, he wasn't sure she'd want to be this involved. Making the suit was one thing, but putting time into the stuff that comes after is a lot to ask of her.

"I suggest you allow us to employ Directive Four," Jarvis states as he brings up a list of directives for Spencer to read.

"Never interrupt me while I'm with Spencer?" Tony asks.

"That's Directive Six. Directive Four: use any and all means to protect your life should you be incapable of doing so."

"Whatever floats you, Jarvis." Tony comments, lifts his helmet so he can kiss Spencer's head before he readies himself for real flight. Tony fires boots and gauntlets again. He hovers, floating along the workshop's driveway. "Let's see what this bad boy can do" He offers as Spencer pulls on a headset, her eyes tracking Tony on the computer.

"Just be careful" She counters as she types away. Running diagnostic tests with Jarvis.