The Perfect Dress (November 2001)

Thankfully, that night was quiet with no signs of Loki. In the morning, Natalya and Logan headed to bed to get a few hours of sleep. Ava and Frank woke up rather early that morning and Ava showered and dressed. She then went to talk to Isabella about looking for a dress. Isabella was in the kitchen with Tony, Kate, and Steve. Sarah was giving Serena a bath after her breakfast. Isabella had prepared French Toast and there were various toppings that were available. Ava took a plate and topped hers with cinnamon sugar and had some fruit on the side. As she sat down at the table she looked over at Isabella.

"So, I was thinking about going out dress shopping today and I was wondering if you could come with me. I would really value your opinion."

Both Kate's and Isabella's interests perked up with talk of looking for Wedding dresses. Isabella had alot to do but, delaying some things was always possible. And she saw how excited Ava saw. That kind of excitement for finding a wedding dress was infectious to other women nearby. "I know 2 wonderful places and I bet they'd make room for us, even if we just showed up without a reservation," Isabella said confidently.

"Park Avenue?" Kate said and Steve turned to look at her. Kate's cheeks grew pink at the sudden increased attention. "I've just...passed it...a few times," she said awkwardly. "I was thinking Sposabella as well," Isabella said. "Ooo, yeah!" Kate said as if she knew the place too. "And I suppose you passed that place too?" Steve asked. "Eat your french toast!" Isabella said demandingly and Steve decided that maybe he should just leave it...for now. Tony knew better than to butt into such things and he shifted the corner of his paper a moment to look at them then, as Isabella looked his way and turned it up again and continued reading. Oh yes, very smart not to interject into that! He thought. Frank had a massive plate of French Toast. The man ate enough for 2 and could ask for thirds and never gained an ounce of weight. Steve and Tony at normal portions and Tony usually left half on his plate.

Ava knew that Steve and Kate had been dating for about as long as she and Steve had been dating, if not a little longer. She would have expected them to at least be engaged by now, but she knew that they had recently broken up for a short period of time. That seemed to have affected their relationship a little. However, it was clear from how Kate's eyes lit up at the thought of looking at wedding dresses that she was still hoping for a proposal in the near future. She wouldn't mind having Kate come along too. They and Natalya were really the only female friends she had. 

"So, you both will come with me?" she asked excitedly.

"Oh I was in the moment you mentioned the word 'dress'," Kate said. Isabella smiled at that and took one last bite of her french toast. "Sarah..." Isabella began but Sarah nodded. "Not a problem Isabella," Sarah said. "We're going to be working on puzzles today," she added. Serena loved puzzles and she quickly got happy an animated about that.

"Ok, let me just clean up and we can go," Isabella said.

Happy was more than happy to drive them and, considering the state of thing, he loaded Isabella's portable suit into the trunk. It was an older model suit but it was still a suit and powerful for that. Isabella decided on the limo this time instead of the Bentley. It had more space and though Ava couldn't drink, they could and they did on the way to the first shop. Mimosa's were easy to make and easy to drink...apparently.

Park Avenue Bridal was a large shop with faux wood floors and square white pillars. Dresses were all along the forward wall and, as they stepped in Isabella and Kate were recognized. There was a bit of scuttling about, there were 3 parties in there already but Linda Maddox, the owner came out to them.

Linda was a thin woman, with white and graying hair. She had pink rose framed tinted glasses and was in a black and off white pant suit. Stylish and professional to her core. "Isabella Stark! And Kate Blackwell? Well, this is a surprise! Come, come, come in!" She said excitedly. The other women trying on dresses goggled at them and began to murmured excitedly among themselves.

"How long has it been? A while to be sure! Come, we have a private room waiting," She said and she led them through a literal forest of dresses. The room wasn't huge but big enough for all of them to sit comfortably and there was a curtain that led to s a fitting room and there, in the corner was a raised area with a large mirror. Tea and cookies were brought to them right away but Isabella knew Champagne or mimosas, depending on the time of day, would be offered soon.

"Linda, this is Ava, she's getting married soon and will need a rush job on anything she chooses, will that be a problem?" Isabella asked. Linda was already sizing Ava up with her eyes. "Problems are for those without money," Linda said in a very snobbish manner. She was fairly snobbish and arrogant in her mannerisms. And very Jewish as well.

Ava was always so impressed by how well Isabella presented herself. She was representing not only Tony, Serena, and herself...but also Stark Industries and the Avengers. She was recognized almost everywhere she went and knew a lot of people, but she always handled herself elegantly and graciously. It was no wonder everyone fawned all over her whenever she came into their store. 

Happy came into the store with them, but stood off to one side. He was there, but almost invisible. Ava's eyes widened when she saw all of the dresses and she became even more excited. They were led back to a fitting room. Ava saw Isabella lean in and whisper something into Linda's ear very discreetly. She could only assume that she was informing her that she was pregnant. Ava didn't mind. She wasn't ashamed and was very excited about all of the changes in her life. 

"Have you decided where the wedding will take place?" Kate asked Ava. 

"Frank and I talked about it and, if Isabella agrees, we would like to have it in the Tower."

It came out as just a smile but Isabella was thrilled about another wedding. And to see Frank getting married again, having a baby and moving on made her heart swell with happiness. They had become good friends and seeing him get what he deserved was one of the few justices in the world. To know he had let go of his quest for vengeance brought a new found sense of respect for the man within her.

"I think that would be an excellent idea," Isabella said as two women began to appear with dresses. Linda had Ava get up so everyone could see when the dresses were held up to her. "Your color will make any of these look divine," Linda said. "And if you like the top or bottom of one or another, we can combine them, no problem," Linda said. After about 30 minutes of the dress parade Ava was brought back to try the 4 everyone seemed to like the most on her, including her. One could never tell until the dress was on her, what the dress would look like. And they were only just getting started.

Ava was very happy to have Kate and Isabella there with her. It made it more fun and she loved the attention. She also loved that she could just be girly for a change. Ava could get down and dirty, but she also loved dressing up. She hadn't gotten to do that for a while and so she planned to enjoy the entire process. 

They finally picked out 4 dresses for her to try on. The first three she liked, but didn't love and everyone was waiting for her to come out in the fourth. As she walked out she heard Kate gasp. It was a long sleeved, V-necked, mermaid dress with a lace overlay. The skirt transitioned into a short train in the back. The dress was a little sleeker through the body that showed off her curves. 

"That dress is beautiful on you," Kate told her honestly.

Isabella wasn't certain about how much she was showing in the front, the v-neck cut was kind of low but she knew one thing was for certain, Frank would love it. "It's fabulous on you Ava," Isabella agreed. "And Frank will catch on fire when he sees you in it," She added. They turned Ava so she could look at it herself in the mirror and they took in the back a bit manually so Ava could see the front. It showed off her curves alright and accentuated her breasts. Kate looked at Isabella.

"I'll have Logan ready with a hose to put him out if need be," Kate murmured and Isabella chuckled as they waited for Ava to decide.

Ava kept looking at herself in the mirror. She couldn't get over how she looked in the dress. She knew perhaps she should continue to look around, but she had a feeling that she would just be coming back for this dress.

"This is the one," she said with a happy smile. 

Linda smiled and took the measurements she needed to make the necessary adjustments. Kate stepped away to call Steve and check in on things, leaving Ava alone with Isabella while she got changed back into her clothes. "So, I wanted to talk to you and make sure that you're ok with everything. I mean, obviously you're happily married to Tony and have Serena, but you and Frank were together at one time and I know that for a very long time he still loved you. I think honestly he still does on some level. Is this weird for you?"

Isabella was still looking at her in the dress when Ava said what she said. They hadn't talked much, her and Ava. At first, she thought Ava was somewhat...easy to jump into bed with. Logan had no trouble and Frank didn't either. But perhaps she had misjudged her? Ava was one of those 'free spirits' that needed an outlet for self expression. Either that or she just loved sex. Isabella couldn't fault her for falling for Frank though. Especially after he got her into bed. He could be 'quite' convincing once you found yourself in his bed. Isabella knew that much from personal experience.

"There will always be a place in my heart for Frank and I think the feeling is mutual. But my life is full Ava. I could not ask for more than I have and to see my friends getting together and being happier because of it only makes it all that much sweeter. Is it weird? No, Frank and I are just friends now and seeing him this happy makes me relieved more than anything. I know you will take care of him Ava. I know you will take care of each other," Isabella said then hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek.

"Enjoy this time and enjoy this time," she said as she set her hand upon Ava's belly. "The joy that this will bring you will surprise you. It certainly did me," she said.

Ava was relieved to hear Isabella's words. They meant a lot to her. She knew there was so much history between Frank and Isabella and she didn't want to come between them or make Isabella feel that she could not still be friends with him. Ava was not an overly jealous type of woman. She actually enjoyed seeing Frank and Isabella talk and laugh together, but it was clear to her, and everyone else, that Isabella only had eyes for Tony. 

She felt a few tears come to her eyes as Isabella hugged her from behind. She slowly turned and looked at her. "Thank you for being my friend. You, Natalya, and Kate are the only female friends I have. I've missed moments like this."

"Well if you and Frank remain in the tower for long, they'll become just part of your day," Isabella said with a smile. It was odd knowing that both she and Ava had been with Frank but probably moreso for Ava as Isabella had moved on from him. In any case, Ava was easy to like. She seemed to fit right into where ever she was and Isabella liked that. With a little bit of coaching in certain areas she felt that Ava could be a younger version of herself.

"Frank's going to lose his mind when he sees you in this," Isabella said with a smile. "How bout we go to Peress when we're done here and find something for 'underneath?' Isabella suggested. "Then lunch?" She asked.

After finding some shoes to wear with the dress, Ava, Isabella, and Kate left the dress shop and went lingerie shopping. Ava found something she knew Frank would love, and even Isabella and Kate left with some new lingerie. The girls went to lunch and laughed and chatted before heading back to the Tower. It was late afternoon when they got back. They hid the lingerie and Ava went to go find Frank. 

Isabella found Steve alone in the kitchen and she approached him. "I know that you and Kate are getting your relationship back to where it was before the temporary break up, but I remember you were asking me if I could figure out Kate's ring size. Well, she's a size 6...just for informational purposes," she told him.

Steve was quite taken aback by Isabella's words. But after what she said sunk in he smiled and looked at her. "I will take that under advisement...how...was she? Did she...I mean, was she enthusiastic about...dresses?" Steve asked. Any help he could get with Kate Steve would definitely take. He had screwed up pretty badly and it hadnt really been that long since then but he was thinking about legitimizing their relationship and soon. A ring would do that. At least, Kate would know Steve was serious then.

Isabella took the kettle and filled it with water and set it on the burner to make some tea. She looked over at Steve and smiled a little. "Yes...she was. Steve, she loves you so much. If you ask her, she's going to say yes." She turned and opened up her tea bag box and selected the one she wanted. She then turned and looked back at him. "Now, this is obviously your decision of when to do it, but I would suggest waiting until after Frank and Ava's wedding. Let's let them have their moment, because the moment you and Kate become engaged the focus is going to be on you two. It's going to be a big deal. It's going to involve a press release and official photos and the media and public is just going to eat it all up because they love you and Kate. Ava's just so excited and I don't want anything to take away from her moment."

Steve could understand what Isabella was saying. And he had nothing against Ava and Frank and wouldn't want to mess up this moment for them if he had. He could wait, they've waited this long. "Alright Isabella, I can see where you're coming from. We can wait," Steve said.

Frank, Logan and T'Challa were in the gym and Bruce and Shuri were in the lab. The guys were working on a quick deployment of the 3 force field zones. There could be some degree of error to their placement but not alot. Steve's shield was going to hide them on the back side of it. At one point they all three came together and T'Challa grabbed one piece than Logan. As theyConverged on Loki they each dropped them at their feet and attacked. Loki was likely to repel them and Steve would be the last though it was Frank working with them right then. Once he dropped his and got out of the zone, the field would go up...in theory. After a dozen run throughs they took a break.

"I don't know, Loki's no fool. I can't see this working," Frank said as he drank heavily from his water bottle. Kate and Natalya were backup and would keep SHIELD agents back away from Loki and what the men were doing with the force field.

Isabella walked down to the training room and paused to watch what was happening. She watched then go through it several times, but she began to think that Frank was right. Steve, T'Challa, Logan, and Frank were tough guys, but Loki was extremely powerful. They needed more muscle. They needed....Isabella stood there a moment longer before she turned and walked down to their room to find Tony. He had been doing his physical therapy and though he was exhausted, she was proud of him. She smiled and kissed him and handed him a glass of water. Her face then became serious. "Tony, I was just down in the training room watching the guys and I think we need more muscle to beat Loki. I...I think we need The Hulk."

Tony shook his head. "I don't think Bruce wants to 'be' the Hulk, that's the problem, isn't it?" he said as he hobbled to the nearby chair. His leg throbbed horribly and he was all sweaty and out of breath.

"So, you saw what I saw, didn't you?" he said. When she nodded he nodded. "I didn't have the heart to tell them it wasn't going to work. You know Steve. He refuses to even think that," Tony said. "Loki needs to be incapacitated for just a few seconds and then...maybe," Tony said. "And then its a long wait for Thor to make the rounds and notice him missing," He said. "Even then, what do we do with him? He's wiley and he can manipulate people. Probably even from inside the force field," Tony said and shook his head.

Isabella sighed and walked over to the window and looked out. The city buzzed along. It was a beautiful day, if not a little chilly. She turned and looked back at Tony. "We have to do something. We have to at least try. I don't know if I could live with myself if we didn't at least take a shot at it. Perhaps...perhaps I could talk to Bruce...or Natalya could. He likes her. I think he would listen to her."

Tony looked over at his wife with a raised eyebrow. "Isabella, now you wouldn't be suggesting lulling the man with his hearts desire, now would you? I mean...I can't even say it, manipulating him with Natalya? How devious," he said with a dark grin and a twerk of his eyebrows.

Isabella saw the look Tony was giving her and she rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying she's going to do anything with him. But she does understand him in a way few other people do. I mean, I don't necessarily like the idea of unleashing The Hulk, but at this point I'm desperate. We need to take more drastic action."

"So, you're willing to trick a man into doing what he doesn't want to do because...you're desperate?" Tony said sarcastically. he saw Isabella about to say something and he held up his hands. "Oh, I agree with you, but I just want you to admit what you're doing," He said.

Isabella sighed and looked away. "Fine. I admit it. I'm willing to trick Bruce by using Natalya so we can have a shot at beating Loki." She paused a moment and then looked at Tony. "Oh my God...I've known you so long that I'm becoming you."

"Whoa whoa whoa! I didn't...I was...hey, you wanted it, you just needed a little convincing," Tony said haughtily. "You just needed a taste of the great, Tony Stark and you were hooked," Tony said with a smile and a snicker.

Isabella laughed and looked over at her husband. "Hey, you pursued me! You were the one who sent all of those flowers to my dorm room at school when you thought I was going to go out with someone else." She smiled at him. "I did know you were going to be great though."