Keeping The Light On

The One Where Tony Sleeps

Two Days Later

"Ms. Potts has asked me to tell you it is time for dinner and she would like you to come, Avery." The AI spoke suddenly, startling Avery out of her day dreaming. "I apologize for scaring you."

"It's okay, JARVIS." She told him. Avery was slightly confused, she hadn't been to dinner with Tony and Pepper in the few days she had been here, and they certainly had never had dinner together. "Why do they want me to come to dinner, Jar?"

"Mr. Stark has a friend that he would like you to meet." JARVIS told her as she got up and grabbed her water bottle, but she paused when she fully understood what he said. Tony had friends? Tony had friend he wanted her to meet?

She figured she should change into something nicer -Ms. Potts had ordered her some clothes until they could go get her own from her house- and so she did. When she was ready, she walked out of the door and down to the living room.

"Who is it, JARVIS? His friend, I mean?" She asked the AI, anxious to know if this person was really a friend or someone Tony was gonna hand her off to. She had been worrying that he'd do that eventually.

"Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, Miss." The AI answered her, causing Avery to stop in her tracks. It was someone from the military, her dad had warned her about people from the military coming to take her away. Maybe this person was just a friend, Tony Stark had worked closely with the military for years, it would be okay. Averys throat started burning and she was glad she had thought to bring her water bottle as she knew she would need it.

"Why is he here, JARVIS?" Avery asked him, needing to make sure she was safe before she continued to the kitchen. The AI took a while before answering, only worsening Avery's anxieties. "JARVIS?"

"I do not know, Avery." The AI answered.

Oh. How could JARVIS not know? JARVIS knew everything going on in this building, unless Mr. Stark had deliberately kept it from him. And if he kept it from JARVIS... or maybe i'm overreacting, I do tend to do that.

"Avery, there you are!" She heard Pepper say, her head snapping up to meet the woman's eyes. Avery saw the moment that the older woman began to worry, her eyebrows knitting together and her pace quickening. "Are you okay, honey?"

Well I mean there's someone from the military here so yeah i'm totally fine.

"Yeah, i'm fine, just feel a little sick is all." Avery said instead, trying not to show how worried she was at the moment. She stopped her hands from fiddling with her water bottle and walked past Pepper to the kitchen, leaving the woman slightly dumbfounded.

Avery walked in, looking around to find Tony. When she found him, she noticed another man there -The military guy she assumed- and she recognized him from somewhere, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. He noticed the girl and straightened up, giving her a wave and a small smile.

"Hi, Avery, I'm Rhodey." The guy said, walking towards the girl with his hand out for a hand shake. She took his hand, careful not to squeeze too hard. "I'm Tony's friend, he's told me you like to blow up supply closets."

"Rhodey!" Pepper said, coming through the door in time to hear his jab at the girl. The man raised his hands in surrender, chuckling slightly.

"I'm just joking, Pepper!" He was quick to defend himself. Pepper only shook her head at the man's antics and looked at Avery, the girl looking back at her and shrugging, finding the man's comment a little funny. "See, the kid didn't mind."

This guys funny, JARVIS didn't say he was funny.

"What are you here for, Mr. Rhodes?"Avery questioned the man still trying to defend himself from Pepper. He turned to her, a confused glint in his eyes and then turned to Pepper and Tony, looking for something. He turned back to Avery and started to speak.