Mentor

I forgot in my last chapter, so here it is.

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Really, I don't. I have no money, so suing me would be pointless. I stake no claim. Plot is mine, characters are not, the OCs those are mine too, so maybe I do own something…



"Ronnie! Tony and I are leaving!" Pepper calls as I skid into the front room almost tipping over as the momentum sends me pitching sideways. I right myself quickly, smoothing down my shirt sending Pepper and Tony a smile.

"Leaving? When did you plan on telling me of this abandonment?"
"If we wanted to abandon you we would have left you in a mall again-"
"-I knew that was done on purpose!" I exclaim pointing at Tony who was looking pretty smug as I scowled at him.

"We did not do that on purpose. Happy was reprimanded accordingly for that mistake." Pepper interrupts before the two of us could start fighting, Tony shrugs pushing his sunglasses onto his face hitting the elevator button.

"Wait," I stop them, making Tony huff slightly as Pepper spins to face me once more, "you're leaving me here with a guy who turns into a scary green monster and the embodiment of the nineteen forties, alone?"

Like I figured, Pepper gives Tony a worried look, opening her mouth to no doubt offer to stay behind with me. "Look," Tony interrupts her holding up his hand, "If you want something to do that bad go do some school work, you're not coming with us."

"And if I've finished all my essay's and impending course work for the month?"
"Then like me, you're just too smart for you're own good, go break something or, I don't know, go somewhere else. That isn't here, preferably, where you could potentially piss off said, 'scary green monster' Aren't you like forty yet? Why do you even still live here?."

Groaning, I spin away, stomping back towards the newly finished living room, ignoring the muffled laughter behind me. It wasn't my fault that NYU needed harder classes. Most of mine were done online actually, that was probably my problem. I didn't get the social aspect of college, I didn't even really need college to be honest. It was a waste of time when I already worked for Stark Industry, alas, the public was only aware that I was smart though, not that I was more or less a genius and my college choice had been in newspapers across the country.

I could always go out like suggested, it wasn't uncommon for 'Veronica Stark' to hit a club every now and then but that had never been something I did for fun. Flopping down onto the new couch I turn on the T.V flipping through the channels quickly before settling on a news station and tossing the remote onto the table.

"I take it that Mr. Stark and Miss. Potts have left for the day?" a deep voice questions about twenty minutes later. I look up lazily, already knowing who spoke.

"You would be correct, did you need something Captain Rogers?" I ask politely. Over the last week I had become used to him and Dr. Banner being round. Usually Rogers took his motorcycle out during the day and went out re-discovering New York but apparently today wasn't one of those days.

"No, thank you. Sorry to interrupt you-"
"Do you want to go for a walk?" I interrupt him, sometimes it was easier to do that, I'm sure he found it rude but I rather be seen as rude then have to listen to his twenty minute way of saying, 'I'm good, thanks. Later'."

I watch as his face slackens slightly in surprise, he wasn't a rude guy. In fact he was probably the most polite, well mannered guy I have ever met. He was almost too good to be true with his old time looks and attitude, he was attractive I would admit that, but like Tony had often told me over the last week, he had a stick shoved up his ass. There was nothing wrong with being serious, but he also needed to learn to enjoy life in this time, he needed to get accustom to our ways and not break the microwave.

No really, he thinks they're magic boxes or something I watched him put a frozen pizza in there the other day and expect it to cook.

"I can see you're debating, well let's go. No time like the present." I tell him not letting him decide for himself. It was easier this way, get some spontaneous action in his life.



The walk was quiet, we didn't talk much unless I was asking if he wanted to stop into a store, and I would only ask that when he seemed to linger in a window. I liked it that way though, the comfortable quiet, it was something I hadn't seemed to have in awhile, something I missed.

"Ms…"
I laugh as he struggles for the right surname. "Just call me Veronica or Ronnie," I tell him giving him a small smile as we turn another street corner. As usual the Captain nods once but I do notice a slight redness to his cheeks. Was Captain Rogers blushing?

"Thank you for offering to spend time with me today, Ma'am. I'll admit, I get lost most day's. Luckily Mr. Stark's tower is easy to locate."

I look up ahead of us, you could in fact see my mentor's tower, from most places if the city, only if you knew where to look though. New York was filled with tall buildings, you could easily get lost if you didn't know where you're going.

"I could get you one of the cell phones if you want, I could upload JARVIS into it, he could help you get back if you got too turned around and…" I trail off seeing his amused look.

"Thank you for the offer Ma'am, but I should be fine."

I almost smack myself in the head realizing that he would have some issues with a cellphone most likely, he was a smart guy but to my knowledge he didn't own one, and the kind Tony, Pepper and I had, all of Tony's design would probably baffle him. Maybe I could find one of those basic ones for him, just a calling feature in case he needed it.

"Well let me know, I'll be around and I don't have much work or school work to do presently, if you need anything just find me." I offer this for what seemed like the third time in a week, I had spoken to Banner more in the last week, he seemed a little reluctant at first but after a while he decided to embrace where he was and asked for things he needed, or wanted.

"You're different then I expected," he says slowly as we cross a street. Shrugging, I quickly grab his arm as a car speeds forward to turn at the red light, pulling him back towards me roughly. He didn't move much but he did end up jumping back when he noticed the car.

"I get that a lot, its the Stark image." I explain, pulling my hand back from his forearm quickly, holding back a blush of my own this time. He was buff, very buff. I was having a hard time swallowing now, feeling my mouth dry and swallowing to wet it I follow beside the taller man, continuing with my chatter the best I could. Now to hide the nervousness that had crept in. "Everyone expects me to be a lot more like Tony, we have similar personalities but I can turn it off, he can't."

"He raised you though?"
"I've only been with him since I was sixteen, he didn't have too much time to corrupt me. Any behavior problems I had were from before, trust me."

"You don't call him Dad though do you?" he asks, I could tell this was a little confusing to him.

"Only when I'm trying to annoy him, or being sarcastic. Tony isn't the parental type, well, sometimes he has his moments but…we, it's not something that we really address. It is what it is, we go with the flow."

"Seem's like avoidance, maybe you two should talk about it"
"Going with the flow isn't all that bad Captain, if it ain't broke don't fix it."

I grin when I hear the man beside me sigh, maybe I was more complicated then past girls.