Saving Grace

Ten

Tony and Happy are boxing, a frequent pass time of theirs as of late. Happy is wearing protective padding, meanwhile Tony only has on work out clothes and gloves. He's training in hand-to-hand combat, since he knows he won't always be able to rely on his suit.

Grace is sitting on her knees at a low table with paper and colored pencils on it. However, she's spending most of her time watching Tony and Happy.

Then, Pepper walks in. "The notary's here! Can you please come sign the transfer paperwork?"

Grace gets up and goes to hug Pepper, but Tony doesn't look at her and continues boxing. "I'm on Happy's time." Half on instinct and half not, he dodges one of Happy's blows and elbows him in the face — basically the only place that isn't protected by padding.

Happy stops. "What was that?" They hear Grace laugh.

Tony continues bouncing from foot to foot. "It's called mixed martial arts. It's been around for... three weeks now."

Happy rolls his eyes. "It's called dirty boxing — there's nothing new about it."

"Alright, just put 'em up," Tony says, relenting.

However, Happy's eyes are on something over Tony's shoulder. Tony turns, spotting a woman with long, curled, dark red hair walking in and holding a large, thin book.

She comes to stand next to Pepper, and Tony turns to look at them. Pepper almost absentmindedly has an arm around Grace's shoulders, hugging her against her side. The woman barely glances at Grace, which Tony takes as a good sign. Grace shouldn't be there, seeing as they have outside company, but it's too late now.

"I promise this is the one and only time I will ever ask you to sign over your company," Pepper says. The woman opens the book, revealing legal documents.

She hands Pepper a pen, then points at different places on one of the documents. "I need you to initial here, here, and here..." Pepper starts signing with her free hand. Grace stands on her tip-toes to see, her arms around Pepper, but turns when she hears Happy talking to Tony.

"Lesson one," he says. "Never take your eye off-"

Tony turns and kicks the padding covering Happy's chest, sending him back against the corner of the ring. Grace laughs. Happy, however, doesn't.

He almost actually starts fighting Tony, but sees Grace watching and thinks better of it. "That's it, I'm done. I'm out."

Tony takes a drink — it's green, which he's passing off as protein mix, though it's the medicine he's been taking to slow down his symptoms. He turns, looking back at the woman, who's closed the legal book. "What's your name, lady?"

She looks up. "Rushman. Natalie Rushman."

"Natalie is a pretty name," Grace says, mostly to Pepper, but Natalie hears her and smiles.

Tony notices this, but continues anyway. He points to the ring behind him. "Front and center. Invitation's been sent. No need to RSVP."

Pepper practically goes pale. "No, you're seriously not gonna ask-"

"If it pleases the court," Tony says, "which it does."