.
It appears that congratulations are in order, Sir? Some poor soul is finally attempting to make an honest man out of you? asked Jarvis as he stood looking down over the strewn parts of what must have been a car or plane engine, Howard s lunch in hand.
Well yes, but you didn t have to say it in that tone of voice. I thought you liked Maria. Snapped back Howard, his voice echoing from where it was hidden behind some machinery.
I do like Maria, I m under the impression that that young lady is far too good for you. However did you manage to convince her that marriage was in the cards? I do hope you are not leading her on. The butler frowned as he placed the food down in an open spot on one of the work tables.
I m not leading her on, J. He banged sharply on the side of the machine and avoided Jarvis s piercing glare.
With all respect, Sir. I find that hard to believe. Howard had known Edwin Jarvis for years now and rarely had the man opposed him straight to his face. He could think of two other times in his life where it had happened. Oh, sure Jarvis was known for giving his opinion, but he usually left Howard to fuck things up however he wanted to and grumbled as he had to clean up the messes.
What s the issue here? She seems like a nice up standing girl that might be in over her head. I do not know what exactly is going on in her life, but having her name dragged through the mud in connection to yours, is not something she needs if you are not willing to support her through it. That statement was enough for Howard to give up on whatever he was fiddling with and move out in the open to face Jarvis.
May I ask you a question? You're asking for permission? It s about Anna. And when you first met her. And how you were willing to destroy your career and your freedom for her after knowing her for such a short amount of time. What exactly do you wish to ask me about that situation? You were there for it after all, for which I must be quite thankful. You barely knew her. You stole and forged documents for a girl you barely knew. What the fucking hell were you thinking? At the time it was entirely worth the risk, Sir. Replied Jarvis a touch defensively.
And what if I hadn t been around to clean it all up for you? Had Anna been allowed to leave Hungary and start a new life elsewhere, hopefully finding happiness, it still would have been worth it. And what if Anna hadn t made it out of Hungary, what if you had gone to jail, and she was just another Jew that was never seen or heard from again? Some people are worth risking everything for, even if you know it s all in vain. Better to have a go at it than not, right Sir? You ve never taken the easy route in your life, either.
How s this connected to the lovely young Miss Carbonell? Howard rubbed the bridge of his nose with one grease stained hand and sighed. It looked like whatever he had been working on was over for the day.
Have a seat Jarvis, I got a hell of a story to tell you. I think it goes without saying that-this- Howard waved his hand between the two of them does not leave this room. .
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Despite their work environments and the seemingly inequalities of it, Edwin was the closest person outside of Peggy that could be called a friend-or even a best friend to Howard.
Time travel. Jarvis looked incredulous at his own statement. Miss Carbonell is from the future? Yes, but I haven t made it to the really fucked up part yet, it gets better. Wait, I m gonna get myself another drink, anything for you? Jarvis shook his head no and settled back in his chair as Howard got up to fix himself a drink. Jarvis often wondered to himself how Howard functioned during Prohibition and then he decided he really didn t want to know about even more laws that Howard might have sidestepped over the years. All he knew was Howard s mansion had more mini-bars hidden around the place than the new gaming centers cropping up out in Las Vegas.
Not only is she from the future, she works for this world famous astrophysicist, who basically changed the face of science as we know it. It was in her boss s lab that she got thrown back in time. Howard flopped back in his chair and continued his story.
Time travel, I can accept that after working for you all these years. Strange events and people tend to gravitate towards you. That does not explain your actions towards her. In fact it makes your decision to ask her to marry you even more concerning. Jarvis leaned forward and stared at his boss. Howard avoided his gaze and focused on the drink in his hand instead.
Jarvis, I- No. Sir, I am not finished. I have only been informed of the barest set of facts here but it sounds like Miss Carbonell needs a way home, not a husband that will get bored with her when the gloss of adventure fades with the struggles of day to day life in a marriage. Jarvis- Howard tried to cut in, but Jarvis wasn t having any of it.
You better be bloody sure this is something you are willing to sacrifice for. I can barely tolerate the vapid, self absorbed leeches that parade through here, but I take marriage vows quite seriously and I will not tolerate nor work for a man that decides to destroy his own marriage. Sometimes Howard forgot that not only was Jarvis former military, but he had also spent months running around with Peggy. He usually hid that side under staunch britishness and manners.
It s always nice to hear how highly you think of me Jarvis. Snapped Howard.
Well? Am I wrong? I certainly hope for Miss Carbonell s sake that I am. Perhaps, you ll let me finish my story? Very well, but I think I would like that drink you offered. .
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When they both were settled with drinks, Howard s third at this point. Howard handed something over to Jarvis. Jarvis perched his drink precariously on the arm of his chair and used both hands to examine the device that Howard had given him.
He had never seen anything quite like it. Some of Howard s equipment in the lab or in the office looked sleek and flashy, but nothing quite compared to this small hand held device.
What is it? It s a mobile telephone. It s also a highly advanced computer. It can store pages upon pages of data, while playing music, a host of other things, and make phone calls. It belongs to Maria. We have nothing similar to this at this time? That would be correct, but while the technology is highly fascinating, it s not the reason I showed it to you. When Maria first arrived here S.H.I.E.L.D. confiscated all of her belongings. This cell phone as she calls it was among the items. I was able to open some of the folders or applications on the device. There I found a series of technical journal documents. Most were written by the woman Jane Foster-the scientist that Maria works for back in her time. However there were also a few articles written by a man named Anthony Edward Stark. Howard abandoned his chair at this point and moved to pick up some remains of what might have once been a radio. He wasn t the best at having conversations with people without something to fiddle with. He could do it for business meetings, but he was often moving around more and presenting new ideas. Not talking about how his life was quickly spiraling out of his control.
Anthony Edward Stark? My son apparently. Your son? How old is he now? He s not born yet, you can just forget about winning that bet I know you and Peggy have running. I haven t knocked anyone up yet. That we know of. I haven t knocked any one up yet, can we please focus? Howard gave up on the radio remains and moved over towards Jarvis s chair, snatching the cell phone out of his hands as he passed by.
So who is the mother? It better be Maria, since you just threatened me if I cheat on my wife. Jarvis sighed and broke his perfect butler image by running his hand over his face and then through his hair. It might have been the most disheveled Howard had ever seen him. I am not done with this conversation by any means, Sir. But I do believe I am going to have to call it a night. It has been quite the trip down the rabbit hole this evening, and I am sure it shall only get worse. You really have no idea. Edwin was half way out of the room when he turned back to his boss and friend.
You think you can fix things for Miss Carbonell don t you? Weren t you the one that just told me some things were worth doing no matter how hopeless it might seem?