Happenings (September 1990)

Stark Tower was finally completed and ahead of schedule.The amount of money that had gone into its construction alone was a staggering amount. And what had gone into the labs, the rooms and the decor was nearly once again as much. But what did you get a man thet had everything? A tower with his name on it. It was the most secure and advanced structure of its kind.

Each room on the main floor was like its own small apartment save for a kitchen except for Tony’s and Isabella’s apartment which included 2 extra rooms and a small kitchen. Steve had decided to live there but James and Malia only came to stay occaisionally. The community kirchen had the best appliances money could buy and a large expandable table that could sit 12 at one time. At the center of the floor was a large living room seating area with a massive drop down projection screen. There was also a large video conference room on the same floor and 2 sets of stairs. One set of stairs went down to the next floor which included the gym, danger room and the medical bay. The other stairs went to Tony’s massive lap that had a slide out ceiling under the helipad. Tony's suit storage and vault was only accessible through the lab and inly Jarvis and Tony could give someone access to those.

Isabella was thrilled that the Tower was completed. In a way, the Tower was like their first child. They had conceived of the idea together and had both worked tirelessly on it. It was better than Isabella could have hoped for and she was proud to know that she would be living there. She and Tony did not sell their other house. However, they packed up some of their belongings and were in the process of moving into the Tower. Isabella was nearly four months pregnant at this point and at the same time they were moving in, they were also setting up the nursery which would be in one of the additional rooms in their apartment until the child was old enough to be in its own room. They would not find out the sex of the baby for another month but they were both hoping for a girl.

Isabella was in the community kitchen unpacking some dishes and she smiled when she saw Steve walk in. "Are you getting settled?"

Steve nodded and looked down at the old box he held in his arms. “Yeah, this is actually my old friend Bucky’s stuff. I cant bring myself to get rid of it,” he shrugged as he looked down at it and then he looked at her. “I bet you and To y are happy the Tower is built. Now you can move on to other things. Hows the nursery coming along?” He asked. Steve would have married Peggy and tried to have as many children as she wanted but it was not meant to be.Peggy died even before the war ended and Steve felt that her desth could have been prevented this, it was in part his fault for not being there.

“Mrs. Stark there is an emergency message for you from security,” Jarvis said. When Isabella told him to relay it Victor Solstein, the head of security spoke and the wall view screen nearest to her lit up with his face.

“Uh, Mrs. Stark...we have...Bruce Banner down here, he says he knows you...what should We do?” He said. In the screen two men held Bruce Banner and all he had on were tattered blue jeans that barely stYed on him. He was filthy and could barely stand.

Isabella had heard Steve talk about Bucky and could imagine that getting rid of anything related to him would be difficult. She was about to suggest that Steve just put those things into storage when suddenly Jarvis alerted her to an emergency message for her. When she heard the message she was shocked to learn that Bruce Banner was there and was being held by security. Bruce was a friend of both her's and Tony's and she immediately excused herself from Steve and headed down to the security office. She quickly walked over to Bruce.

"Are you alright Bruce?" she asked with concern heavy in her voice.

Bruce had been on the run for months. The military, everyone seemed to want him and not for a simple debrief. The hulk was a weapon and Bruce would not allow himself to be used in that way.he looked at Isabella. “No, im not alright. I came to see Tony Stark,” he said plainly. He didnt know Isabella at all but could tell she was likely pregnant.

“I wish to be under his protection,” he said just as Phil Coulson entered the building with three other agents. “Hello Isabella,” he said as he looked at Bruce. “You do realize Doctor Bruce Banner is a wanted man Isabella. SHIELD would like to debrief him. If you’d release him i to our custody..” he said suggestively. He considered Isabella a friend even moreso than Tony. Bruce was dangerous ans he had orders to debrief the man and lock him up before he could hurt anyone.

Isabella had heard about him being on the run and knew Tony was worried about him. He needed help, although she had also seen the destruction the Hulk had left in his wake. She knew this was a delicate and potentially dangerous situation. Tony was out, but was due back soon.

She opened her mouth to say something to Bruce when suddenly Phil and a few other SHIELD agents walked in. Isabella considered Phil a friend and a good man and she hoped he would let Tony see him.

“Dr. Banner hasn’t hurt anyone. The Hulk has and he’s not here right now...just Bruce. He needs help Phil and Tony might be able to give him the help he needs. I can’t let you take him.”

Phil just looked at Isabella for a moment. “Thats unfortunate Mrs. Stark,” he said. “Nick would like to tslk to The Doctor Very much. You know as well As I do that he is not safe to be around, do you think that the Tower will keep The Hulk at bay? Think of your child Isabella, Is the danger he poses worth it?” He asked as he looked at Banner. Bruce said nothing. What could he even really say? He was dangerous, the hulk was anyway but they all knew what SHIELD really wanted him for and it wasnt just to have a little chat.

Isabella looked at Phil. "Phil, if you take Bruce in then you're going to need to take me too. I'm not sure I would want to be around when you are explaining to my husband why his pregnant wife was taken in."

She then decided to hit Phil with a little bribery. "I talked to Steve and he told me that he would be more than happy to sit down and chat with you and sign those trading cards. He would even take a picture with you."

Phil clasped his hands in front of him and he took on a calm demeanor after what Isabella had just said. He really wanted those cards signed. And he’d enjoy talking to Steve Rogers...THE Captain America. He snapped his fingers and pointed for everyone to get out. The agents responded by stepping out of the security office of the building and headed back outside. “I’m not certain how long I can hold Mr. Fury off Mrs. Stark,” He said then leaned into her and handed her his 3 cards. “It would be nice if he signed them and said’ “To Phil Coulson, My Favorite Sidekick, Captain America,” He whispered to her then stood back up straight.

“Mr. Banner I wouldn’t leave this tower if I were you. Alot of people are looking for you,” He said. “Tell me about it,” Banner replied as Phil smiled and left them. He looked at Isabella. “Uh, thank you Mrs. Stark...I really came to see Tony, is he around?” He asked as if she hadn’t just stuck her neck out for him just then. He did look quite bedraggled. As well as tired, hungry and filthy. He smelled bad to like he needed a long bath.

Isabella smiled and took the cards from Phil. She nodded as he told her what he wanted Steve to say on the cards. Steve owed her one and she planned to call this in as a favor. After Phil left Isabella was able to get a better look at Bruce. He certainly needed a shower, a good meal, and some clean clothes.

“Tony is currently out, but he will be back shortly. Why don’t you come upstairs with me and we’ll get you cleaned up and into some fresh clothes.”

She led Bruce upstairs and she let him take a shower while she went through Tony’s clothes and pulled out some ones she thought would fit him. While he changed into them she prepared a plate of leftovers for him.

Banner took the sweat shirt and pants with a thanks and availed himself of the shower in the room Isabella showed him to. He ate the leftover pasta and sauce..all of it and negan to finally feel like himself again. Tony had finally come home and though it was late Bruce met him, shook his hand and asked if he could talk to him. Likewise Tony wanted to talk to him as well. Isabella saw how tired Tony looked and though she protested against them staying up eventually she relented. They went down into the lab.

“So Tony, you know why everyone wants me. They think they can use my Hulk side in some way to make a weapon. Its no different than Steve’s super soldier serum in his blood,” Bruce said. “You know Im not certain I like the idea of you being here if you go Hulk Here you could do some real damage. My entire life is here...but that is what I wanted to talk to you about as well. Im not certain what we can do about everyone wanting what you have,” he said as he began to unbutton his shirt. He had dark veins leading out from his arc reactor.

“But I was wondering if you could help with this?” He asked. Bruce looked at his chest. “Ah, Palladium poisoning. You’ve had that reactor in you too long Tony. What Percentage has it poisoned you already?” Bruce asked. “15%,” Tony answered and Bruce just looked at him. “Does Isabella know? Tony, with this level of toxicity, you don’t have long to live,” Bruce said and Tony just looked at him. “You think I don’t know that? This is why I needed you...I need to find a replacement for Palladium,” Tony said and Bruce whistled. “You don’t ask for much, do you? Tony the likelihood of finding a new element is extremely slim,” Bruce said. “Don’t you think I know that? Jesus Bruce I need your help,” Tony said. “I’ll do what I can,” Bruce said.

Tony joined Isabella in their bed. He noticed that she looked already asleep but her breathing changed when he came into the room. Isabella was not a heavy sleeper normally. He slid into bed on his side and tried not to jostle her very much.

Isabella didn't know what was going on with Tony, but she knew something was going on. Tony hadn't been acting like himself the past few days. His mind seemed like it was far away and he seemed...worried about something. At first, she thought it was just the stress of moving into the Tower and getting everything situated and set up the way the wanted. Then, she wondered if perhaps it was the baby. Although Tony had changed his mind about wanting a baby, he hadn't wanted one at first. Perhaps he had changed his mind again once he realized just how much their lives were going to change once the baby was born.

She had been tired and so she hadn't waited up for him. She had gotten ready for bed and had changed. She had her eyes closed, but she wasn't fully asleep by the time Tony got into bed. She couldn't easily sleep without him next to her. She waited for him to get settled before she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Did you get Bruce settled into a room?"

After Tony confirmed he had she paused a moment before speaking again. "I know something's wrong Tony. I wish you would just tell me what it was. Is it the baby?"

Isabella actually nearly startled Tony but he didn’t jerk. He shifted onto his pillow closer to her. “Ofcourse not. I am just as eager as you are to see her. Though it might help if our daughter had a name. There are so many names,” He sighed and then paused as the decision to lie to her had been made in him. He never liked lying to Isabella but in this case...with her being pregnant, he thought it was necessary. “I’ve been asked to do a series of experiments. I’ve been deliberating about doing them...but now that Banner is here...I think I can do them,” He said. “You know how I feel about SHIELD,” He added for good measure.

Isabella wasn't entirely sure she believed Tony. She eyed him suspiciously. "What kind of experiments exactly?"

“The dangerous radiation kind. Is there anything involving SHIELD that isn’t cloaked in danger and secrets?” He asked as he shifted the pillow she had behind her away and replaced it with his own body. He kissed her neck. “Now I was away for almost an entire day and all you want me to give you are...answers?” He said softly though she’d know he was smiling at her. Sex was now a nightly activity if she didn’t wake him up in the middle of the night as well for it. Tony though could never get enough of her. He liked how her body was changing too. His left hand moved in between her and the pillow that was situated over her chest. He found her left breast and began to message it. He pressed himself up against her butt. “Or maybe you didn’t really miss me much today,” He said offhandedly.

Tony was able to distract Isabella away from asking him any more questions. His hands on her body were enough to turn her on and any questions she had in her mind about what was going on with him faded away. She moaned softly when be pressed himself up against her backside. She turned herself so she could kiss him. She kissed him deeply and began to pull off his shirt. However, he suddenly pulled back from the kiss and pulled the shirt back down. Isabella just blinked in surprise.

"What's the matter?"

Tony covered by just smiling and he kissed her again and then lifted up her nightgown. She knew where this was going. He was going to put his mouth on her center. Something he did when he did really miss her. Or he did after they had an argument. After another night of rigorous love-making Tony held her up to his chest. She faced away from him and by how slow her breathing was he could tell she was fighting to stay awake.

“Thank you for helping Bruce babe, I owe you one,” He murmured as he lightly kissed her cheek. The next morning she woke to an empty bed. It was happening more and more of late as well as her sleeping in longer. Tony never said anything about that, she doubted he ever would but she smelled bacon cooking and a sweet maple smell. Anne was cooking breakfast...again instead of her...again. Which likely meant Tony was in his lab...again. So much for more sex!

Tony had 12 canisters of radioactive isotopes in a large supported case. The metals he was going to attempt to modify were each in their own little reinforced canister. The diagnostic machines would measure the changes in the metals as they were exposed to the isotope. He already programmed the machine with what he was looking for but so far they had not found it. Bruce adjusted the readout gain but then shook his head. Tony stood up quickly and tried to temper his annoyance at another failure. “Ok...lets prepare another sample,” He said as Bruce put on the protective gloves and goggles over his suit. He removed the cannister and put it into the protective case. He then removed the expended isotope and put that into its container then began to load another one into the machine.

Isabella's eyes fluttered open and blinked as sunlight streamed in through the window. She stretched and reached over for Tony, but she was disappointed to find he wasn't there. She sighed, but then glanced at the clock and realized she had slept in by almost an hour. She got up and got dressed and as she did she smelled breakfast cooking. It smelled delicious and she was quite hungry. She thought she was eating enough, but her OBGYN thought she could eat even a little more.

She had hoped to find Tony out in the kitchen, but he wasn't there. Anne was cooking breakfast which meant that Tony was probably down in the lab with Bruce. She decided to just pop down there and make sure Bruce didn't need anything.

“Tony, we’ve gone through half of the isotopes already. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack..maybe just a specific strand of hay in a haystack,” Bruce said. “I understand the concept Bruce...we keep going, I know the answers here,” He said as he looked at all the different canisters with the meal samples in them. They had dozens of them but the answer might involve hundreds, maybe even thousands. “Tony, im not certain you have that kind of time...I really think you should just ell her...before its too late,” Bruce said. Neither of them knew she was right there on the stairs and heard what they said,

Isabella had heard Tony and Bruce talking and she didn't want to interrupt. She decided to wait for a good moment to walk in. She also decided she wanted to see what Tony was really up to. She stood back so they couldn't see her, but she could hear them. Everything at first sounded like they really were running some experiments. However, what Bruce said made Isabella's blood run cold. Her mouth felt dry and she felt like her heart was suddenly beating a thousand times a minute. She walked into the lab and looked at Tony. Tony would be able to tell from the look on her face that she had heard them.

"What the hell is going on Tony? What did Bruce mean by saying that you don't have that kind of time?"

Steve had heard raised voices and had decided to come down into the lab to see what was going on He was surprised to see Bruce, Tony and Isabella down there. Bruce was in some kind of hazmat suit. And Isabella was near what looked like some kind of diagnostic machine. There was an odd looking metal case on a stand behind her and Tony was over by Bruce and another metal case.

Tony hadn’t expected Isabella to be down here and Bruce decided to step away why Isabella lost her shit. ANd he didn’t blame her at all. Tony was being extremely selfish again. Not wanting to deal with the emotional fallout of having to console the woman he loved vs. focusing on just finding a cure. Tony just looked at her

“I’m certain you know all about deadlines...I have a hard deadline, what else can I say,” He lied. Steve didn’t know Tony as well as Isabella and even he knew Tony was lying. Bruce was still looking away and he busied himself by rolling the filled expended canisters away toward the containment area.

Isabella didn't see Steve come down. She was solely focused on Tony...the man she loved and the man she thought would tell her everything. She thought back to the night before and how he wouldn't let her take his shirt off. She didn't say anything, but she walked up to him and grabbed his shirt and ripped it open. What she saw caused her to gasp. She knew it was bad...very bad. She began to tremble out of fear and anger.

"When in God's name were you going to tell me what the fuck was going on Tony?! I'm your wife and your partner."

Tony pushed her hands away from him and pressed his shirt closed again. He tried to turn away from her but she only shifted to keep in front of him. However that meant her back was to the large case of isotopes on the stand. Tony felt sick. He didn’t want to add this burden on top of everything else Isabella had on her plate. That and he didn’t want to add stress for the baby.

“And what would telling you really accomplish?” He said. “How does a man tell his pregnant wife that he’s dying,” Tony said. “That he might not be there to see his own daughter be born. Or see her first word or her first steps. I decided to focus on the cure,” Tony said pragmatically.

Isabella was very upset, and understandably so. She tried to fight back the tears that came to her eyes. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings because she was so focused on Tony and the news she had just learned. "And if you didn't find a cure when were you going to tell me? I may not be able to help out in the lab, but I can help you in other ways. I deserved to know the truth so we could handle this together."

Tony was upset and took a step towards her. When he did Isabella took a step back. She heard Tony yell out just as she hit into the stand behind her holding a large case of isotopes...

Everything seemed to have happened at once. Isabella knocked over the case and a caustic gas from the mixing of them burned Tony’s lungs. He was forced to hurl himself back though he wanted to move forward and get Isabella! Even before he landed Steve was a blur of man in motion.

The gas burned Isabella’s lungs but what she hadn’t realized was that it was so radioactive that it was not likely she would survive long. Steve had held his breath and had scooped her up like the hero he was and had carried her out. Bruce had arrived and quickly began replacing the canisters in their holders. As Steve ran up the stairs with her Bruce picked up Tony. Isabella’s chest felt as if it were on fire. She couldn’t breath and she felt herself beginning to suffocate. Panic and pain rose up in her as Steve laid her out onto the biobed prototype.

“Isabella, what do I do!? Jarvis...activate the biobed!” Steve said in desperation and it suddenly came to life. “Diagnosis in process Mr. Rogers,” Jarvis said. Bruce brought Tony but TOny had fallen unconscious. Bruce moved up to the large glass shelf of medications and he grabbed a syringe. He grabbed at a medication and filled up the syringe and administered it to Tony. The biobed began to inject Isabella with similar medications. “Mr. Rogers, Mrs. Stark has taken in a lethal amount of rads. I’m afraid there is little that can be done for her,” He said. A moment later though he spoke again. “There is some kind of endothermic reaction happening. Her body is somehow ridding itself of the radiation exposure,” He said.