Author's Note: Sorry it's taken a while to update, everyone. Life's been a little hectic. No worries though. I have every intention of finishing this tale. It just might take a while. lol (Don't own/Don'te sue plea still stands)

Chapter Three

True to his word JARVIS had indeed contacted the delivery clerk that Tony paid by the half hour and, by the time they all arrived back at base camp, showered and started to meet in the kitchen, there were grocery bags set on the island's marble top. Tony, towel draped over his shoulders and shirt comfortably covering his arc reactor from view, started poking through them immediately. "We have cat chow. We have the canned stuff. There's tuna. Some toys both catnip and non. And, of course, kitty litter and a pan."

Clint was the only other one already done cleaning up, and he looked at Tony like Tony had lost his mind. "What was that back there, Tinman?"

Tony gave him a flippant look. "What was what?"

"You could have just as easily sent him off the other way. You should've backed down."

Tony shrugged. "But I didn't. He's our teammate. I have faith – as strange…as that actually sounds coming from me – in his inherent goodness and all that crap. Stop dwelling in the past. It ruins your future."

Clint looked like he might say something else, but Steve with his super soldier senses, came to Tony's rescue. In Tony's mind anyway. He actually just pushed through the doorway and immediately began looking through the stuff stacked on the island. "Do we have everything?"

"I love how we just accept that there's going to be a pet living with us now." Phil came in a few steps behind Steve, rubbing a towel over his short hair. "No questions asked. The Hulk wants it and he gets it."

Tony snorted. "I asked JARVIS."

The smirk on Phil's face said it all. "And would you have said no, if JARVIS had declined?"

Ignoring the wicked smirk on Clint's face, Tony stared levelly back at Phil and asked in return, "Would you?"

"Break it up," Steve muttered absently as he continued picking through the items on the island top. "Seafood Medley," he read. "This isn't so bad. Who knew having a cat would be so easy?"

Tony turned away from Phil after a moment more of staring. He already knew the answer anyway. When the Hulk asked, the Hulk received. It was a damn good thing Bruce was mild-mannered and too good at the core to take advantage of such a power. "This is just the basics. Let's see what Bruce wants to do about the cat before we make any permanent decisions or purchases."

Natasha strolled in looking perfect. Even her little split lip looked good. Sometimes he suspected she was a mutant, or – or a Super Soldier test subject that turned out weak or something. "I don't know. Having a pet might be good for Bruce. They're very good for the health from what I've heard."

"Black Widow talks to people about pets? That's just a little…I don't know, weird."

Natasha smiled at him. Frankly, she scared the shit out of him with her fake-normal expressions. "I have friends, you know, Stark."

Tony raised his hands in surrender because, no. He really didn't want to know. He was saved once again by the opening of the door and the entrance of Bruce. The cat sat primly in his arms, front paws on his shoulder and looking back the way they'd come. He half-smiled, briefly, in his shy way and then gently maneuvered the cat onto the island top for everyone to see. The cat instantly began to step with ginger paws through the items, sniffing around.

"Have you named it yet?" Steve was offering his fingers in greeting to the cat who sniffed them delicately before butting its black head against Steve's hand. Obligingly, the man started to scratch and stroke the cat's head. "Hey. She's not all black. There's a small white spot. Here."

And now Steve was scratching the animal's chest and that was just so unfair. Bruce spoke up, breaking into Tony's unhappy thoughts. "I thought we could put names into a hat and draw out one or two. Then, uhm, decide from there. If we're keeping her."

"Do you think you can safely get rid of it?" Clint was always direct. That was at least one respectable thing about the guy.

"Probably not. The other guy…might not be very happy about her leaving." Bruce reached out and stroked a hand down the cat's back. She arched into the touch and then turned around sharply to butt her head against his hand, too. Both Steve and Bruce were smiling.

"Well. That settles it then. The cat stays and we'll draw a name out of a hat in two days. I'll supply the hat in just a few minutes and you all can make your submissions. Keep 'em clean and well cat-like."

Natasha was talking over him, asking if Bruce was sure it was a girl. Steve was asking how she checked out because he was certain Bruce had given her at least a somewhat medical exam when she'd woken up. It hurt more that Steve was basically ignoring him than that Natasha was. Natasha always ignored him. Steve was…usually more polite than that. It was understandable though. The cat was rather distracting, moving from person to person, sniffing offered fingers and then headbutting them. When she got to Tony, she simply sat and looked up at him. Her eyes were intensely piercing, strange and...he couldn't put a finger on what made them so.

Phil, the smartass, smirked and said, "I think she's waiting for an introduction."

Tony glanced at Phil. Licking his lips, he wiped his free hand – the one not holding his coffee – on the leg of his sweatpants and then stuck his hand toward the cat. He was not nervous. Just wary. Cat mouths were disgusting and they could bite. The cat stared at him a moment more then flicked her tail once and leaned forward, butting her head against his fingers without sniffing them first. Tony tentatively scratched the very crown of her head and cradled his mug in both hands quickly thereafter. The cat walked back over to its new possessions and started sniffing around again. With a nod, Tony turned and made for the kitchen door. "I'll just…go get that hat.

The idea of a cat being in the Tower after the other night was a little disconcerting. He wasn't sure why he felt a little wigged out by it, but something was telling him to be wary. He re-entered the kitchen with one of his prototype faceplate and helmet combos from the Mark II and set it on the countertop with a thunk. It was very unsatisfying that the cat didn't stop its investigation of the litter pan at the noise. Tony looked up to announce the official beginning of the naming contest and froze. Steve was looking at him with a strange look on his face. It was strange because Tony rarely saw that look directed at him by anyone but Pepper Potts, James Rhodes and Happy Hammond. Steve lost the look for a smile a split second after that moment of surprise.

"I'll grab some paper and pens," Steve announced and headed for the kitchen junk drawer. "How long do we want to wait before drawing?"

Tony was still too busy staring at Steve and pondering that look. Luckily for him, Bruce spoke up. "A day or two maybe? That way everyone can drop a few names in and we'll have more of a pool to draw from."

"Sounds good." Steve was already back and passing out index cards and mini-pencils. Tony hadn't even known those were in the Tower let alone right there in the kitchen. "Tony?"

Startled Tony reached over and snatched his card and pencil then cleared his throat. "Yeah. Sounds good."

There was that look again. Tony sometimes thought it was concern. At others – most others – he assumed it was some fond level of resignation that he was eccentric and incorrigible and there was nothing anyone – even close friends – would be able to do about it. Having had enough of being social and being around a cat that kinda-maybe freaked him out because he could have sworn there had been purring in his room when there was nothing really there a few nights ago, Tony turned to leave pencil and card forgotten in his hand when JARVIS announced, "Sir, your quarters. It began precisely fifteen seconds ago."

Tony took off at a run, the coffee cup miraculously finding its way to the edge of the island without falling to its messy death. He heard Steve start after him and ignored it. Whatever was going on…it might be nice to have back up. By the time he and Steve – and Bruce, what do you know – reached Tony's bedroom JARVIS had announced the end of the incident, stopping them just outside the cracked door.

To their credit, no one said a word, but Steve took up a ready stance while Bruce sort of hung back a bit as Tony reached a shaky hand toward the door. It opened easily on well-oiled hinges. JARVIS obligingly turned the light on as soon as it was all the way open. There was a pause and then Tony turned his back to the room. "False alarm," he stated cheerily. "I've been tinkering with little things here and there before bed. You know how that goes sometimes. With me. Explosions or results. Apparently, for some reason this time I got neither. Nothing to see here. Thanks for checking with me. Now I think I'll just see what JARVIS thought might be happening."

As he spoke he slowly started backing into his bedroom. Bruce looked worried still, but Steve just nodded his face neutral. "See you for the evening news if you make it," was all he said before turning away himself and motioning to Bruce to follow. Bruce did, but not without one last look at Tony. Tony ignored it and gently closed the door, counted to ten and then turned around. "The same as the workshop."

"Exactly, sir."

"Thank you, JARVIS." Moving to his desk, Tony touched the surface to wake the computer interface there and started tapping away, also giving verbal instructions. "Bring up all the footage we've got so far. I want to compare everything. A full spectral analysis, audio examination, motion detection, color comparisons frame to frame. It's runny, but doable."

"Right away, sir."

Three hours later, they had what they'd started with. Nothing.

"I just don't get it. A cat-like something at the foot of my bed that wasn't really there but I know it was, and then suddenly my personal space is mysteriously broken into and scrubbed clean from top to bottom. Organized."

He'd sat down at his desk somewhere along the way and now he leaned back from his hunched over position and put a finger to his lips in thought. Nothing rang a bell for anything. He couldn't associate this with anything he'd ever come across before. Hell, it didn't even make sense. "JARVIS, start surfing the web. Look for anything that seems similar all over the globe. I'm at a loss. Just do the best you can, see what comes up."

"Right away, sir."

"I'm going out for a coffee. A walk will maybe jog some thoughts or connections. If this is one of the team…I'm gonna hurt someone." Standing, Tony stretched and then turned to his closet and dresser. He needed to get dressed before he could step out. Even his jeans had been pressed and folded perfectly he discovered to his dismay. Still he sucked it up and pulled them on. A Black Sabbath t-shirt and a leather jacket and all he needed were the right shoes to match.

The walk to the coffee shop had been uneventful and uninspiring. Nothing came to mind. Nothing fired any spark of recognition. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. A genius mind like his and he couldn't even remotely figure this thing out. Yet. Honestly, he had to give himself some credit. It had been a couple days since this all started at most. Certainly, he was a genius but some equations were harder to solve than others. He knew from personal experience. Rubbing absently at the Arc Reactor, Tony took another sip of double espresso. It wasn't as good as it usually was because apparently his usual barista was out with a cold. The young man behind the counter had recognized him, gone nervous and rushed the process. Sighing, Tony took the turn that put him on the same street as the Tower and hesitated. It felt like he was being watched. Not the paparazzi kind of watched, but the creepy kind of watched. It was well into night now, so looking around with human eyes alone would probably get him nowhere. Instead, he subtly stretched his legs and picked up his pace, glancing at his watch for cover. If he'd just realized he might be late for something, he had every reason to be rushing back.

The feeling followed him all the way to the private entrance doors and then quite simply and suddenly vanished. He hadn't realized how oppressive the feeling had become until it was suddenly gone. Tony staggered like a weight had slid off his shoulders and leaned back against the wall next to the door as soon as it had been closed and locked. His heart was pounding. The tiny ache of the shrapnel readjusting to the changes of his position and physical rhythms was sharp for about three seconds and then faded. It was an odd comfort, a bit morbid even, but still a comfort it was. It was a reassurance that he was alive and very determined in his own mind to stay that way. He'd proven that much.

Straightening from the wall, he tugged his jacket back in place, took another mouthful of the coffee then tossed the rest in the garbage can on his way into the waiting elevator. He'd make something better upstairs before attacking his problem with a renewed sense of I-can-do-this-because-I-can-do-anything-because-I'm-Tony-Stark.

It was getting harder and harder to shake the feeling that his life was turning into some amalgam of a sci-fi based horror film in which they just hadn't gotten to the horror yet. Ghosts might maybe exist in the crazy world he lived in, but that didn't mean he had to live in terror like the common folk. Iron Man feared no one and nothing. Not invading alien forces or even Casper the unfriendly ghost. And again there was no hard evidence proving that ghosts existed, so really it was probably just some paranoia or something. Maybe he'd settle himself in for some Stark Industries medical equipment testing in the lab. See what that turned up.

Stepping off the elevator and into the apartment level, Tony made his way to the kitchen. Better coffee awaited him there…and so did a cat. She sat primly on the countertop next to the coffeemaker. Strange eyes looked serenely back at him and there! That was what made them strange! They were two different colors: one pale green, the other a similar yellow. It was only really noticeable if one looked really closely. Weird.

"Uhm," he hummed the unwavering stare making him a little more than nervous. Would the cat turn on him if he tried to make coffee? He really didn't want to go to the hospital for cat wounds. Just the thought of all the drugs they'd have to put him on because of that creature's filthy mouth made him want to gag. "Shoo, kitty."

The cat stared at him.

"Shoo. Move along. I want some coffee and you're…in the way."

The cat stared at him for a few moments longer then slowly stood, hopped down and walked away. He watched as it stood on its hind paws and pushed the two-way door so it could get out. It was very hard to think of the cat as a she – though he was trying – when it was just so…alien in his presence. He'd never had a pet before. Not even a hermit crab or a gerbil. Shaking himself from the strangeness, he set about making his coffee. It was just a cat. What could it really do to him when it seemed so…tame anyway?

What the cat could do to him, it turned out, was take up far too much of his precious time. Steve came down to the workshop exactly two nights later and politely cleared his throat. Tony pretended not to hear for a moment but when Steve did it again, Tony gave in, which, honestly, was more than he did for Pepper when she came down even now when he barely saw her because she was always away on business and they were, y'know, broken up. "Yes, Steve?"

There. Not a lot of attitude in that. He was very proud.

"We're ready to draw names for the cat," Steve stated with a grin. "We were just waiting on you."

"Oh." Damn it.

Steve's smile never wavered. "How much longer do you think you'll be?"

And damn that smile too. Tony flicked a hand in the direction of the schematics he'd been working on for more power to the thrusters and repulsor systems, JARVIS saving them automatically. "I'm ready right now. Let's get this …done."

To Tony's great pleasure, Steve's smile brightened. "Well, that was easy. Everyone said I was crazy to bother and that we might be better off not waiting. You're not as stiff as they think."

I'm stiff alright. Just not in the way you think. "That's good. I told you I'd try harder." Wow. And he had said that and he was trying. Go him!

"Thanks, Tony." Steve opened the workshop door for him as they made their way out and upstairs via elevator. "We were all getting worried about you, now that we've seen how you treat yourself sometimes."

"Uhm… thanks," Tony managed then decided to change the subject since this one would only lead to awkwardness or lectures. "What names did you submit?"

"Tony, that's not how this works and you know it." Steve's smirk and raised eyebrow were playful. Tony could have died a happy man right then and there. It was almost like Steve was flirting with him. Which, yeah, okay, Steve flirting with him was probably only going to really happen in his dreams, but hey, this was better than the cranky Steve he had first gotten to know.

"Okay, I'll just guess then shall I?"

The elevator dinged and let them out onto the penthouse floor and they walked into the kitchen in companionable silence. Everyone else was already waiting for them when they slipped through the door. Bruce was hugging the prototype helmet and fidgeting. The man was adorable, and Tony might have totally considered banging him. Except that his libido was infatuated with someone a little more…aw-shucks boy next door and a little less mellowed-out rage-rabbit.

"Do us the honors, Big Guy. What are we going to call your furry little friend?" Tony stated as soon as everyone had fallen silent. The cat itself was sitting on the island counter, surveying her domain and minions. Tony gave a mental wince. Cats…always seemed so haughty to him. So smug. And superior.

Bruce nodded. "Okay, so… I'll just stir these around and then pull one out. As long as everyone agrees that it's suitable, that'll be her name."

Everyone nodded while Bruce rummaged about in the helmet before pulling out a folded submission. Setting the helmet aside, he unfolded it and an affectionate smile tugged the corners of his mouth up. "I like it," he murmured and then looked up. "Miss Mittens."

The cat turned her head to look at Bruce first and then seemed to look about the room. Tony glanced from the cat to Steve – everyone was looking at Steve – and couldn't help the fond smile that turned up the corners of his own mouth. He was pretty sure most of the team wore a similar expression. Steve was slowly turning a bright red as he realized that yes, everyone figured out right away that that was his submission. Deciding to spare the now fidgety Super Soldier another moment of stare torture, Tony cleared his throat. "I like it."

Natasha smirked. "I think it fits her."

"At least now I can stop calling her furball as much," Clint added and leaned his chin into his hand.

Phil looked up from his tablet and nodded. "It's suitable."

"It was the only thing that came to mind," Steve murmured, still cherry tomato red. Tony just couldn't help the broad grin that stretched his face. Steve, who was cute at the best of awkward times, was absolutely adorable when he himself was the center of the awkward moment.

"Then it's settled." Bruce grinned. "Miss Mittens it is."

"Too bad Thor wasn't here," Clint stated suddenly. "How much longer is he going to be wherever Jane is?"

Phil shrugged. "A little while longer. He said he might make it here in the next couple days. He just wants to spend a little longer with Jane before coming home."

"Well, we'll just have to ask him what he would have named her if he'd been here for the chance to," Natasha put in.

Tony snorted, "It's going to be something awesomely ridiculous and, yeah, we all want to hear it."

"Of course we all want to hear it," Clint scoffed. "But I also want to hear some of the other names too. Let's see if we can guess who put it in."

Phil actually set aside the laptop and nodded. "Let's give it a go. It'll be a good team building exercise. See who knows who the best."

"This will probably be easy, but let's see," Natasha smirked and leaned forward onto the island. "I'm game."

"Alright, let's do this," Tony stated and took the chair he hadn't yet sat down in. Steve took the one next to him and Bruce sat on Tony's other side. The cat moved over to Bruce and sprawled out where he could rub her belly. Bruce obligingly set the helmet in front of Tony.

"We'll let you do the honors," he said, to which Tony nodded and reached right in.

The first name he pulled out was obvious. "NotMine?"

All eyes turned towards Clint and the archer just shrugged. "I couldn't think of anything but not wanting to be responsible for cleaning up after the cat and I thought it was kinda funny."

Steve's small frown of only a little disapproval made Clint grin a little sheepishly while Phil just shook his head. Tony mimicked him and drew out another folded piece. "Millikan?"

Most of the other Avengers looked around blankly, until Tony pointed a finger in Bruce's direction. "Cute. It's an oil drop experiment," he informed the others and they all hummed and nodded. Tony drew out another one. "Bugatti."

"Yours," they all said in unison and Tony looked around at all of the smiling faces and felt himself smile with a little less asshole in it. If ever there were to be people that Tony Stark could call his own it would be these people. "Right. The next one is Erzabet?"

While the others looked around, Phil turned his attention right to Natasha. "Really?"

Natasha shrugged. "Cat's are bloodthirsty. And regal. I thought the Blood Countess was a fitting namesake for such a natural huntress."

Everyone chuckled at her matter of fact attitude. Of course Natasha would consider naming a cat after someone who was also called the Blood Countess. Tony pulled another since they still had quite a few names left in the pot. "Pepper."

Scoffs and groans met the name and Steve grumbled a disapproving, "Tony…"

Unrepentant and grinning, Tony pulled another name from the helmet. Maybe this wasn't quite as bad as he'd thought. Team bonding and all that was essential, right? And Steve was having a really good time. So that was worth it. He could totally spare a little time to observe that gorgeous smile on Steve's face. There was no 'lose' in this scenario.

TBC…