A Spiritual Meeting (June 1990)

Days had passed and James could not get Malia out of his head. On a whim he decided to check out where she worked...mainly because he didn’t know where she lived. The hospital wasn’t huge up front, there was a main desk with 2 girls who wore blue polo shirts and dark slacks. There were 2 people with dogs of different breeds who sat with their dogs as they waited to be called up. “May I help you sir?” One of the women behind the desk asked. “Uh...is...Doctor Malia here?” James asked. “She’s with a patient,” the girl said bluntly then went back to what she was doing. “Uh, could you tell her...He thought about what name to give her and he smiled. “Tell her Rhodey is here, ok?” He said. The girl looked up at him and sighed then stepped away and moved into the back. The hospital opened up it appeared as he looked behind the desks. There were rooms but also a large, open space too but he couldn’t see much more than that from where he was.

Malia couldn't stop thinking about Rhodey. She kept hoping that he might come by and see her. It had been about a year since her last relationship. The guy she had been seeing ended up getting a job in Seattle and moved and she wasn't ready to make the commitment to move across the country with him. She knew that one day the right guy would come along. Everything happened for a reason when it was supposed to.

When Jennifer stepped to the back, Malia was finishing up a checkup on a Golden Retriever. She smiled when she heard that Rhodey was out front. She stepped out and gave him a little smile. "It's good to see you again."

James knew she was busy, there 2 more people waiting to be seen. He saw her wave him back and the girls gave him a look as he smiled and moved back to her. The golden retriever was a beautiful dog and it made an odd sound and she made an odd sound back. Not a back, not a growl, something else that he didn’t understand. The woman, he presumed she was the owner waited patiently while Malia checked out the dog. She had a stethoscope and was listening at the dog’s stomach.

“Janet, all the puppies sound healthy and Ginger here is just feeling tired. I think maybe try giving her a bit more food and if you can, mix in some ground turkey thigh or ground beef into her food. She’s an expecting mother and she needs her calories,” Malia said. “Thank you doc, I’ll definitely give that a try,” The woman said. “Dana at the desk will check you out,” she said as she turned her attention to James.

“So...do they know you can…” He began and gestured and she shook her head. He nodded in understanding. “Well...I came by because I didn’t feel right to call you at work and...well...I wanted to see if you’d go out...on a date...with me,” He asked awkwardly. He hadn’t dated anyone in years. That and Malia was distractingly beautiful in her scrubs with that stethoscope around her neck. She rocked this doctor look bigtime he thought.

Malia loved animals and she understood them in ways no one else did because of her spiritual connection to them all. They spoke to her in their own ways and seemed to be able to sense that she could understand them. She had many dog and cat owners who were stunned when she was able to easily handle their animals, which they considered aggressive towards other people. There was not a single animal on the face of the earth that she didn't consider beautiful in its own way.

Malia smiled as she watched Janet leave with Ginger. She couldn't wait to see the puppies. Once they were gone she was able to turn her full attention towards James. She smiled at him after he asked her out. "For a man who goes around in a big suit saving the world you sure seem rather uncomfortable asking a girl out on a date," she teased playfully. "So...where would we go?"

Malia’s response was...encouraging. James didn’t really need to think, he already had somewhere picked out. “Do you like to dance? There’s a club that I’ve always wanted to try. It serves a mean prime rib,” James said. “And it’s open until 4am. When do you get off,” he said then decided that what he said sounded quite suggestive. “I mean, when do you close?” He asked quickly. He was a dark, black man so he was glad she couldn't see him blush.

Malia smiled at James. She already liked him even more. "Tonight we close at 6." She got out a sheet of paper and wrote down her address. She handed it to him with a smile. "Pick me up at 7:30?"

After she got off of work that night she immediately headed home and quickly showered and changed. She wore a black dress and heels and left her long, luxurious black hair down. She touched up her makeup and spritzed on a little perfume. When she heard James ring the buzzer she grabbed her purse and headed down to meet him.

Tony had been working feverishly on a way Isabella could be part of their little team without really being there. He had to abscond with a satellite just to keep the connection she’d need clean with the new drone he was programming. The drone looked just like her suit and her view would be exactly like she was there. The holographic interface was cutting edge technology and he built a helmet that would fit over her head and give her the same interface and feedback as if she were in her suit herself. He was far from the testing phase but he knew he was onto something with this. He would not let Isabella down.

James was dressed in black slacks and a blue, short sleeved silk shirt. It was warm out in June, even in New York and he wore a gold chain, a gold bracelet and the cologne that Isabella told him smelled amazing. A much different look than she had seen before. James knew how to cut a rug and he hoped Malia liked to dance as well.

When he saw her he smiled. “Wow, alot different look than your scrubs but I think you’d look beautiful in anything,” James complimented and smiled when Malia giggled at what he said. “Shall we” He asked and gestured toward his sports car. He opened the door for her and helped her down into it than got in on his side. He sped off into the streets and couldn't wait for them to get to the club.

“So, Malia, this ‘Spirit’ its a part of you or are you part of it?” He asked.

Isabella was only now just starting to realize everything that she was going to have to cut out of her life while she was pregnant. She wasn't going to be able to wear her stilettos, use the hot tub or sauna, drink alcohol, or drink caffeine. She also wasn't going to be able to eat sushi or any soft cheeses...among many other things. Although she was very happy she was pregnant and they were going to have a child, she suddenly felt...left out. She and Tony were just starting this big thing that they had been talking about for over a year, but now she was going to be on the sidelines. She had actually cried about it the other night in front of Tony...although that was also partly due to her hormones.

Isabella had brought down some water for Tony. He had been in his lab all day. In the morning they were due to visit the Tower and do a walk through to check on the progress. She found him working on...something although she wasn't entirely sure what it was he was doing.

"I brought you some water. I thought you might be thirsty."

Malia stepped into the sports car and she took a seat. It was quite nice and very clean. She looked over at James when he asked her about Nanyehi. "Nanyehi is apart of me. Nanyehi is an ancient Cherokee nature spirit. I am not the first, nor will I be the last to be a Spiritwalker. Before my mother died, shortly after my birth, Nanyehi was moved from my mother's body into mine. She enables me to be able to take on the physical qualities of any animal in the world, although my own body never changes. My primary spirit animal is the wolf. At all times I posses the wolf's heightened sense of smell and hearing, as well as the strength of a wolf."

“Ok, I suddenly feel as if your the wolf and I’m the lamb,” He said. When she laughed he smiled. “I could listen to that all the time,” James said and laughed himself. “You look very nice Malia,” He said. The car sped through the streets and James was an excellent driver. The car hugged the road and purred like a kitten as it raced toward their destination. When they arrived a valet came to help her up out of the car. James was there quickly and they entered the building hand in hand.

The front of the club was a high class restaurant. But the base beat of the music thumped through the thick walls. James hadn’t made a reservation but he was recognized immediately and they found a table for them. After they were sat the waiter asked them what they wanted from the bar.

“Hey babe,” Tony said and invited her onto his lap. When she settled he smiled and gave her a scrutinizing look. “I have something I’d like you to try Isabella,” Tony said then handed her the helmet interface. The drone wasn’t completely ready but she could see from its point of view with the helmet. When she put it on it felt just like the HUD in her own suit. When it connected to her the drone’s eyes began to glow and she was looking at them looking at it from where it hung on the prototype shelf.

Malia smiled as she stepped into the building with James. She noticed that he seemed to be recognized and they were immediately led to a table. Malia ordered a Manhattan straight up. After James had given his drink order and the waiter walked away she looked at him. "So, who exactly are you James Rhodes? You didn't have a reservation and yet we were immediately let in."

Isabella smiled and sat down on Tony's lap. She looked at what he was working on and saw that it was a helmet that looked a lot like the helmet on her suit. She glanced at Tony when he asked her to put it on, but did as he requested. She was rather surprised to realize that she was seeing from a different point of view. However, the HUD was just like the one in her suit. She quickly realized that the point of view she was seeing from was the drone that sat on a table a little ways from them. She pulled off the helmet and looked at her husband.

"This is incredible Tony."

James just shrugged. “I was an officer in the air force, am Warmachine and I’ve been the interim CEO of Stark Industries for a while. People just know my face,” He said but seemed quite humble about it and felt humble about it as well. He took a sip of his rum and coke. Malia was gorgeous in that dress and her age was impossible to determine and he wasnt going to ask her. “I think I’m going for the prime rib,” He said then set the menu down. The beat that come through the walls was beginning to infect him. He wanted to be out there with Malia.

“I’m glad you like it. The drone will be you in every way except that you’ll be here and safe protecting our baby,” Tony said as he pressed his hand on her belly. When she took off the helmet he set it back into the holder. He put his hand on her thigh and rubbed it. When she looked at him he looked back at her. “I know we’re ‘already’ pregnant but I was wondering if you might make love to me anyway” Tony asked.

Malia smiled at James. For a man in a very prominent position he was very humble and down to earth. She really liked that about him. She could hear the beat through the walls as well and that combined with the heat that was building between them made her want to dance with James. She grinned and stood up.

“How about we go work up an appetite?”

James grinned at that and drank down his drink quickly. “I like how you think Malia,” He said and stood. He offered her his hand then turned and led her out of the restaurant and into the club part of the place. As soon as the door opened the beat rose in loudness and intensity. It was an infectious sound and as soon as they glided out onto the dance floor they began to roll with the beat. James was an excellent dancer and he complimented her with his movements. Dance after dance they kept going. Their bodies seemed to gel together as the heat of the beat infused their bodies with energy and sexual desire for one another. Malia’s hair flowed behind her as James swung her low and then lifted her up toward him. As their eyes met he leaned in and kissed her quite thoroughly and her lips kissed his back. It was their first kiss and their mouths seemed to fit perfectly together as they tasted one anothers tongues. “Whoa,” James said as their mouths separated.

Malia had never clicked with someone as quickly as she had with James. There was an energy between them and it wasn’t just sexual (although there was quite a bit of that). She felt strangely connected to James and was completely comfortable around him. Then, when they kissed she felt that connection grow even stronger. She began to think that their meeting one another was not just coincidence, but something the spirits had arranged.

“My thoughts exactly,” she replied with a grin to his comment regarding their first kiss. She then kissed him again.

For a few moments James did not hear the music, the thumping base or even the flickering lights. Malia was so beautiful in her black dress and her dark hair glistened like silk in the dim light. Her olive skin was flawless and here dark eyes that she fringed in black eyeliner only accentuated her eyes. They were dark pools that he knew he could get lost in if he didn’t watch himself and yet he did want to lose himself with her. Malia would not need her heightened senses to know that James wanted to have sex with her. And his cologne with the smell of his sweat was an intoxicating mixture that made her senses take it all in. James kissed her hand and then led her away from the dance floor.

It was a surprise to them both that it was already nearly 9. The time had just flown by and James drank the whole glass of ice water that was put in front of him. James did order the prime rib and he carved off a small slice and ate it but he almost didn’t even taste it. Malia had his full attention as she talked about some of her clients, the animals that came to see her. He liked how she talked about what she did. It was the animals that came to see her, not their masters. Malia was a vegetarian and she had barely touched her salad because she was talking so much. James didn’t mind though, he could listen to her for hours. He poured her more wine but he only stayed with his first glass because he was driving.

Malia lost track of the time talking to James. He was easy to talk to and he genuinely listened to what she had to say. They talked about their families. Malia was an only child. Her mother had died shortly after she was born from complications during childbirth. Her father lived with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation in the Qualla Boundary in Cherokee, North Carolina. Malia had grown up there, but had sought more out of her life and moved to New York straight out of high school to attend veterinary school and then open up her own clinic.

"My father and I are still very close though. I go to visit him a couple times a year."

James told her of his humble beginnings in South Philadelphia. His parents were both dead from drug abuse and his 2 brothers died do to gang violence but he had managed to get out and joined the Air Force. He had a knack for flying right off and they had put him through officer school. As a Lieutenant in the Air Force he learned to fly just about everything the Air Force had and he had been in several combat tours and engagements. He met Tony Stark over sees when his helicopter was shot down. Together they managed to survive in the jungle until they found civilization and flew back together. They had been close friends ever since.

Nanyehi sat right near their table. Nanyehi was a large brown and gray forest wolf. To Malia she was anyway and no one else could see or hear her besides Malia. They can communicate telepathically or in the traditional manner though when she did that it only appeared that she was just talking to herself. Someone who could see into the Astral Plane could see her as an astral projection and hear and converse with her but otherwise only Malia knew she was there. An unavoidable side effect of being imbued with Nanyehi’s spirit. Nanyehi has been with her as long as she can remember. Nanyehi sniffed James and did not seem to approve of him.

“He is a man of war...of fighting and killing...I can smell it on him,” she growled in stark disapproval. “Born of violence, it is all he knows. He will draw you into that Malia,” Nanyehi said.

Malia listened to James' story and could see in him the strength that had gotten him through that difficult period in his life to where he was now. He was a man of passion and drive and that strength drew her to him. Nanyehi sat on the floor beside her. Nanyehi was always there and she could not imagine a life where she wasn't there with her all the time. In her mind she could hear Nanyehi's voice. She disapproved of James, but Malia could sense something deeper inside of James.

"He is also a man with a good heart," she argued telepathically while still listening to James. "He helped people the other day and that is what I want to do. He may have once been a man of war, but he has changed since then. That is not who he is now."

James ofcourse had continued to talk, he did not hear Nanyehi or even know Malia was talking to her. Nan only just shook her head and laid down. Nanyehi had a more pragmatic view of the world. She was old, very old and does not know where she had come from or even why she was here. She suspects that long ago she knew these things but no longer and as time goes on she recalls less and less of the time before but is still quite knowledgeable for that.

When they had finished their meals it was 10:30. Malia had to work tomorrow and she had a surgery at 9am. She could tell that James wanted to go and dance some more but that wasn’t what he said. “Well, you probably have work tomorrow, me too. I keep feeling as if I want to stay here in this moment with you but there will be other moments...I hope,” he said with a smile. His face and eyes came to life when he smiled though it might just be when he smiled at her. So in the car they want and he zoomed on the dark, city streets. The bright city lights were a blur as they drove. The beautiful bright night cityscape was one of the advantages of living in New York. Though being so aware of it now might also be do to the present company.

James walked her up to her door. “I really had a great time tonight Malia. I loved dancing with you and I’d really like to take you out again. If you want you can decide what we do next...if you want,” he repeated. He was being such the gentleman and Malia could feel Nan roll her eyes at the gesture.

Malia liked James quite a bit. She hadn't felt this way about a man since her last boyfriend, but even that wasn't quite what she felt for James. She had never felt this way about any other man before. She certainly wanted to see him again, but she wanted to take things slow and enjoy these moments. Why rush them?

She smiled as James walked her to her door. She ignored Nanyehi and focused solely on James. "I had a really great time too and I would like to go out with you again." She wrote down her phone number on a piece of paper for him and gave it to him. "I would also like to help you and Tony Stark if anything bad happens in the city again."

James smiled as an idea came to him. “Hey, Isabella, Isabella Stark makes dinner for us on Sundays most of the time. We could...go together, if you want. It would just be the Starks and Steve Rogers and us. Do you like Italian? She’s very good at it and I’ll let her know you’re a vegetarian,” James said as he took her hand and laced his fingers in it. Nan growled but didn’t move at the forward gesture. “It would give us all a chance to get to know one another and Tony and Isabella are building a group. I’m not certain what it is yet but Tony said its going to be a big deal. I think you’d make a great addition to this if its something you really want to do,” James said. “Pick you up at say, 6 O’clock?” he asked as he leaned in and kissed her once more. Her lips were so soft and the warmth of them filtered all the way down into his toes. Their lips mingled for quite some time before he smiled and pulled back.

“Goodnight Malia,” He said softly then took a step back. He paused and smiled at her again then turned and head back to his car.

Malia smiled at the idea of being James' date to dinner at the Stark's house. It sounded wonderful and she agreed to go. She just hoped she wouldn't cause any trouble by not eating meat. She was curious about this group that Tony and Isabella Stark were putting together and hoped, if it was something that would be good for mankind, that she could be apart of it. However, she would want to know more about it before making a decision (that is if the Starks even wanted to consider having her as apart of the team).

She didn't want James to go, but she knew he needed to. When he kissed her goodnight, she closed her eyes and kissed him back. His kisses caused her heartbeat to increase and her face to flush slightly. She didn't want the kiss to end, but eventually he reluctantly pulled back. She smiled at him.

"Goodnight James," she said and watched him leave before heading inside.

One thing about Isabella being pregnant that Tony liked was that her libedo had gone through the roof. He liked it when his wife was aggressive and she had been alot lately. She seemed to want him all the time and he was more than happy to accommodate her. He was making love to her and her hands were on his hips urging him to go harder and faster. Tony did and he had never heard a more vocal orgasm in his life.

After her shower Isabella saw that they had received a voice message on their phone. James was coming to dinner and he was bringing a plus 1, Malia Montoya to sup with them. He also mentioned that she was a vegetarian and that didn’t even give isabella pause. Eggplant Parmesan had been a mainstay in her household when they were young. It was her mother’s favorite and she could also make chicken Parmesan as well for the guys.

Tony had just finished Isabella’s Drone he called Sapphire. It could do nearly everything Isabella could do but its reactions were going to have little delays in them. Isabella had a full body virtual set up now where she put on gloves and boots while she fit into a special belt built into a round gimbal that was inside of a square frame. Her body moved and shifted just like the suit accept that she only pivoted around. The whole thing was well padded so that no matter what orientation she was in she was fairly comfortable.

He had also finished his prototypes for their wrist communicators. He had Jarvis build 6 just incase they had others join them soon. As far as James was concerned, Sunday did not come soon enough. This time he picked Malia up in the limo and he wore black jeans, a blue polo shirt over a dark brown leather jacket. He kissed her when she came out and told her once again how great she looked and helped her into the car. Happy was driving and James introduced them.

“Do you like sports Malia? I can get tickets to different things sometimes,” he said. “Sports, broadway, concerts, all kinds of things. Tony and Isabella get invited to everything and they rarely get out to take advantage of them. Until now I didn’t go much either but I’d like to go with you,” he said as he slid his hand over hers and once again laced his fingers into hers.

Malia was very happy when Sunday finally arrived. She was dressed more casually than she had been when James took her to the club, but still nicely. As a way of thanking Isabella for having her she had gotten her some flowers since she knew she was pregnant and couldn't have wine. James had not told her so, but since humans were apart of the animal kingdom as well she could sense things about them too, although not as strongly as other animals.

She had never ridden in a limo before and was quite pleased. Happy seemed nice enough and left them alone while he drove. She smiled when he told her about all the tickets he could get for them to various events.

"I like all those things and I would certainly like them even more if I was going with you," she admitted with a smile. There was a sold out concert coming up that Malia had tried to get tickets for but had been unable and she was nearly ecstatic when James told her he could get them tickets for it.

She had calmed down by the time they reached Tony and Isabella's place. Steve was helping Isabella in the kitchen while Anne set the table. Isabella heard the front door open and knew that must be James with Malia. She had not gotten the opportunity to meet Malia the other day because she had been trying to help Frank. Thankfully, Frank was alright and had since been released from the SHIELD hospital.

Isabella smiled when she saw James walk in with Malia and she got a good look at her. The woman was clearly of full Native American descent and was very beautiful and striking to look at. She also got a good vibe from her and she smiled when Malia gave her the flowers. She could see why James liked her.

"Thank you Malia. These are beautiful. Let me grab a vase to put them in."

Malia quickly found that everything was very casual here. Steve Rogers, Captain America himself was using a salad spinner to dry off the lettuce for the salad. He only just nodded to her when his eyes met hers. Nan was ‘viewing’ everyone as well but so far she had remained silent. She was sitting near the table and watching everyone.

The flowers looked nice in the crystal vase and Isabella put them at the center of the table. A chilled, white wine was poured, ice water as well and Steve just pulled out the eggplant. It bubbled and sizzled and sent waves of delicious smells around the room. Tony was not anywhere to be seen and James formally introduced Malia to everyone.

“James, could you tell Tony we’re ready up here please?” Isabella asked and James nodded and complied. Tony was tweaking Isabella’s interface again in an attempt to make it perfect for her even though she had already said it was. “Hey Tony, dinner’s up,” James said. Tony turned and faced him then stood. He shook his hand. “So you and Malia eh? Is she, you know...just as much the animal in bed?” he asked with a wink. “No, its not like that, we’re just dating, you know taking it slow,” James said. “Taking it slow because you want to or she does?” he asked. “Its kind of a mutual thing, whats the rush?” James asked. Tony only smiled as he tossed the screwdriver on the work bench. They came up stairs together and everyone else had already been seated. Tony sat at the head of the table and James near Malia. The food began to be passed around family style. “This looks great Isabella,” james said.