Avengers: Jedi Master (CWAC Book Two)

Chapter 8: Roadtrip

Shea stirs absentmindedly at her bowl of cereal, Sam sits at her side pouring out coffee into her mug and then his.

"You feeling any better?" he asks her, she shakes her head.

"No...." she leans against his arm and sighs. "I just....I hate using that....on people....I hate messing with people's head like that...." he strokes her arm. "Especially with Bucky around" she tells him.

"Look it was self preservation" he assures her softly. "It wasn't malicious or mean or cruel.....or to cause pain....it was to protect yourself...." she sniffles and looks up at him.

"Then why do I feel like it was" she admits pulling her knee up.

"You always feel bad about using any of those gifts, Shea....you were born with this power, your people....your history......It makes me a little sad, that you hate yourself this much given all they went through" she looks away. Tony walks into the room and looks between them.

"Everything okay?" he asks, Shea nods and grabs her coffee.

"Everything's fine" she answers.

"You feeling better?" Tony asks grabbing the coffee pot and a mug.

"Much" she lies and smiles at him. "We can get some more work on the jet done today"

"Urm no" Tony tells her, she frowns. "Me and you, we're going out....I found this little workshop who do custom pieces....we're going to have a chat with him" she sighs.

"Why do I need to go as well?"

"It's your jet" he points out, she sighs again and looks to Sam who shrugs.

"Fine" she grumbles standing. "I'll shower and get dressed" she mumbles walking away. Tony turns to Sam.

"Was she really sick?" he asks, Sam sighs.

"Yes" he answers, Tony narrows his eyes at the Falcon who grabs his own coffee and legs it, Sam's not very good at lying to his friends. And he loves Shea, she's the closest thing he has to family and he's not about to give her up. And he knows she would only hate him if he told them all her secret.

...................

Shea pulls on her jacket as she heads towards the Avenger's garage, Tony leans against one of the flashier cars and smirks at Shea as she approaches.

"So I figured whilst we're out, we could do lunch....." he tells her opening the car door for her, she looks to him.

"Why?" she frowns.

"Because we can" he whisper and then kisses her cheek. "Get in the car, Skywalker" she sighs and does just that, he shuts the door and moves around to the other side before climbing in the driver's seat.

"So what's really with the day out?" she asks looking to him. He looks to her.

"Why not?" he asks back, she raises an eyebrow. "Fine" he draws out. "I wanted to cheer you up" he admits. "With you having been sick the last few days....is that so bad? That your friend wants to make you feel better" she sighs and looks out the window.

"Fine...what did you have in mind?" she asks, he smirks and starts the car.

"We go to this meeting with this guy and then head up the coast, find a nice restaurant, have some drinks" she looks to him. "Find a nice hotel..." he smirks and she rolls her eyes. "I'm joking...just food, I promise" he pulls out of the garage. "I know this great Italian place....does the best penne" she looks to him.

"That sounds great" he smiles at her.

"It does doesn't it" he teases. "You're still looking a little pale, the sun will do you good" he smirks at her.
"I'm English and a red head, Tony...I am always going to be pale" he laughs and looks to her.

"Do you go as red as a tomato?" he asks.

"Shut up" she smirks.

.....................

Shea turns a piece of metal artwork around in her hand as Tony drives away from New York.

"It's good" she tells him. "But dangerous" he frowns and looks at her.

"What?" he asks.

"If it was to come away mid-flight" she holds it up. "Imagine this coming at you" she weilds it like a weapon.

"Point taken" she throws it into the back seat and leans into her seat.

"He was kind of boring too" Tony offers, Shea smirks.

"Like he'd been around awhile and not someone with good stories like I imagine Thor would have but one of those really old men who are like....back in my day"

"Like Steve" Tony points out, Shea smiles and laughs.

"Come on, be fair, he isn't that bad" she offers.

"This one time, I kid you not, he started a sentence with....during the war" she laughs harder. Tony smiles watching her. "I laughed for a week" Tony tells her, she turns her head to look at him.

"Maybe we should just keep driving" she offers, he looks to her and then to the road.

"What?"

"Skip the coast and just keep going...."

"To where?" she shrugs.

"Wherever we want" she answers.

"I thought you liked working with us?"

"I do..." she looks back out the window. "I know it's not been very long"

"A week" he tells her, she hums and shrugs. He looks to her worried, her mood is....alarming.