3 Months Later - The Stark Expo

Ami looked at the tablet in her hand as Tony left the stage. She held out his blood monitor that she helped design.

"Thank you, Ami," he said.

"I'm still running tests to find an alloy that we can use," she said. "JARVIS is looking at the individual elements. You really need to tell Pepper."

"Yeah, I will."

"I mean it, Tony. I see the way you two look at each other. It's sickening, but if you and her are serious, she need to know."

"I'll have none of that from a girl whose never been in love before " he said looking through the tablet "has security done their rounds yet?" He asked. For months now he was still having security stay wit Ami night and day no matter where she went.

"Been around three times now. And I've been in... like with guys. They're either too goody-goody or extreme douche bags, enough to make you look like a pias saint."

He rolled his eyes " sure whatever you say Ami , your suits near by right? " He said looking up at her. She could tell he was more focused on her safety then anything

She pointed at the suitcase, "You think I'd help you make your easy to pack case without making myself one too? I made some upgrades to the IronMaiden designs. I liked your look, so I copied it for the travel suit. The one you built is back in Malibu, safe in it's display."

"Good keep it close by and stay within range of the security please" he said looking back at the tablet and sighed "I need a drink" he said walking off with his head int he tablet. Pepper walked up to her a moment later "hey how's he doing? Is he planing his escape yet?" She asked half joking

"Yep," Ami answered. "And he's using me to distract you. As for how he's doing... nervous is the word I'm going to use. It's not the correct word but the one I'm going with."

She sighed and then looked at her "how are you" she asked sincerely"this is the first time you've been out of the house like this and with a crowd since ..you know"

Ami sighed and said, "Constantly on edge. I swear, I feel like that woman could come right out of the shadows at any moment. Happy has his hands full with Tony, so I'm trying not to leave areas with security cameras, but it's hard." She looked up from her tablet. "I can't live like this, Pep. I go to therapy, even though I hate it. I take a suit with me everywhere, even to the backyard. I don't feel safe anymore."

Pepper looked sad and said "come here for a moment and sit down with me "she said going over to some chairs. When she said down she sighed and said "when I was in college I was assaulted my sophomore year." She said in a calm yet stressed tone " I won't go into detail because they are not needed but for years after I always felt weak and exposed, like at any moment it would have again. I stopped living because I became to afraid to like" she said in a serious tone "that women did not succeed in killing you, you survived but you need to work hard to make sure your still living, it's not far I know" she said "people like that don't care what harm the cause obviously and we are nothing to them and yet we have to live with the trauma they caused" she said patting her hand " one day at a time is all you can do, you don't have to heal overnight be proud of yourself every day you keep going"

"I'll try," Ami said, tears threatening to fall. "That's-" She and Pepper got notifications on their phones and both women groaned. "Let's get ready to go to DC. That idiot is going to make a spectacle of the hearing and I want to be the first in line for the popcorn."

They both got up and met up with Tony who was already in the car waiting to go to the air strip.
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"I swear politics is just for old men with nothing better else to do anymore " Tony said looking bored "and half of them don't know what the hell they are doing" he added as they sat in their seats in the up in the very back

"Correction," Ami said, "shady old men with nothing better to do, don't know what they're doing, and lie out their asses."

"Both of you stop," said Pepper. "This is serious. Tony, they are asking for-"

"It's not happening, Pep," Ami interrupted. "They are saying Tony is basically a weapon. This is a power play, and we all know it. It just sucks that the not-so-secret service took my snacks."

Tony reached down between the seat he was in and pulled out a twizzle and handed it to ami "Seriously? how did you get them past security?" Pepper asked and tony just shrugged and she sighed

Ami took a bite and said, "Looks like they're about to start. Go show them what idiots were elected into the Senate."

The senater banged his gavel to get started just as Tony sat down.
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Once in the car tony sighed "do you think my hair looked ok on camera?" he said in a nonchalant tone

"I think the beard is thinning, but other than that..." Ami said, trying not to laugh, but ultimately failed. "That was absolutely amazing, Tones! You showed the world what idiots they are!"

"yeah now we just wait for them to throw their tantrum like the childish people they are" he said with a sigh as Pepper who was on her laptop said "I'm already starting damage control" without looking up

"You shouldn't have to do that," said Ami. "Senator Asshat is the one that said 'fuck you' on TV. Tony was just being a Stark."

pepper just shook her head and kept typing " so whats next on the agenda? whose feathers am i ruffling next?" tony asked

Pepper started to look over the schedule when Ami said, "Well, besides running a multi-billion dollar company, you have to be in Monico for the race. We have a car competing. Then, after that is your birthday."

Tony groaned "great more people pleasing" he said annoyed. Once home he went straight to the lab befre anyone could say anything to him. Pepper stayed upstairs with Ami. They had just gotten settled when peeper said "you got to be kidding me! your brother has lost his mind" she said standing up and heading towards the lab, Ami followed to see what the drama was.

Ami paused at the top of the stairs, but the chance to see Tony get yelled at was too much to pass up.

"JARVIS," Ami said, grabbing some trail mix from the minifridge, "please record this."

"Of course, Ms. Stark," the computer said.
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Five days later...
Ami looked at the beauty walk past her. If she didn't have issues to deal with, she'd be all over that.
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Three weeks later...
Ami pouted. She had enjoyed the trial, but now she was stuck at home while Tony and Pepper were practically on tour.

She turned on the TV, and panic sat in.
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The following week...
Ami looked around the house, locked in the corner of the room. There were so many people, the woman could appear and just...

No, it was Tony's birthday, possibly the last she would have with him. She wasn't going to let that stop her from having fun. She grabbed a cheap vase and threw it at Tony with a smile, starting off a barrage of him shooting things until Rhodey appeared in the WarMachine suit.
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The following month...
Ami tried to run, but not to get away. She needed someplace open to get her suit out. But she got knocked down and lost the suitcase.

She felt exposed. When she looked up, she saw a man staring intently at her, her suitcase at his feet. The world melted away in that moment. His haunting, troubled blue eyes never left her and she couldn't move from the ground.

Then, he lunged, moving her out of the way as a group of three nearly trampled her. She was pinned under him, and though she should be scared with drones flying around trying to kill her brother and maybe even her, she felt like the safest person in the world.

He suddenly quickly stood up and bolted in the direction of the crowd, that's when she noticed he had her suitcase in his hand

"Nononono!" she said, panic setting in. "J-JARVIS! L-lock my suitcase a-and turn on it's t-tracker!"

"On it, Ms. Stark," he said.

She started to run after the man. Something about him said that there was more to him taking her spare suit than she knew. She lost him in the crowd almost immediately. He was so fast, like super fast that it wasn't quite normal "tracker is in mamm " Jarvis said through her phone as a gps map opened. He was moving even faster like he was driving a car or something

She ripped the side of her dress and ran over to where some bikes were parked, saying, "I need to take this! Leave your name with one the Stark employees to get a new one!"

With that, she sped off into the night, hoping that she could get the guy in time.