Word count-1192

The two Starks showed up at the benefit. Tony gave the keys to the valet and they walked to the stairs leading up to the building. The stairs were crowded with people dressed formally ad were obviously fairly rich. Cal wasn't particularly fond of crowded places and always made sure that Tony was in sight so she wouldn't panic too much. Obadiah was further up the stairs talking to reporters.

"Weapons manufacturing is only one small part of what Stark Industries is all about, and our partnership with the fire and rescue community..." He stopped talking when he heard girls screeching Tony's name and a few men called Cal's, evidently making her slightly nervous.

"Hey, Tony. Remember me?" A girl flirtatiously asked. Cal recognized her as one of Tony's one night stands.

"Sure don't." Cal saw the disheartened look on the woman's face. They approached the back of an older man, his arms around two younger girls.

"You look great, Hef." Tony patted the man's back and kept walking. Hef turned around confused as to who spoke but he didn't find anyone. Cal had been tense the whole time. Unlike Tony, Cal hated the attention.

"We're coming to a great quarter." Cal heard Obadiah say as they approached him.

"What's the world coming to when a guy's got to cash his own party?" Tony asked Obadiah. The man chuckled at Tony, his smile seemed forced and eyes squinted more than they should have been. Cal took note of this, she had noticed several out of character things when being around the man since she had gotten back. His smiles always seemed forced and he had kept asking about the arc reactors.

"Look at you. Hey, what a surprise."

"I'll see you inside."

"Uh, hey. Listen. Take it slow, alright? I think I got the board right where we want them."

"You got it. Just cabin fever. I'll just be a minute."

Cal and Tony walked inside. Of course, Tony went straight to the bar.

"Give me a scotch. I'm starving."

"Mr Stark?" Cal recognized the voice immediately and she relaxed, having been still tense from before they had entered the building.

Tony turned to the voice. "Yeah?"

"Agent Coulson."

"Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. The guy from the...uh..."

"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." Cal answered for Tony who looked at her in slight surprise.

"God, you need a new name for that."

"Yeah, I hear that a lot. Listen, I know this must be a trying time for you, but we need to debrief you both." Tony only nodded before moving his gaze out into the room. He spotted Pepper and became distracted. Cal followed his gaze and smiled. "There's still a lot of unanswered questions, and time can be a factor with this things. Let's just put something on the books. How about the 24th at 7:00 p.m at Stark Industries?"

"Tell you what." Tony held his hand sideways for Coulson to shake. "You got it. You're absolutely right. Well, I'm going to my assistant, and we'll make a date." Tony said, only just moving his eyes away from Pepper. He then went to Pepper as Cal stayed at the bar. After a few seconds, Pepper looked around Tony and straight at Cal who smiled and waved in response.

"So, Coulson. What have you been up to?" Cal turned to the agent.

"I'm afraid that's classified information, Miss Stark."

"Really? You're being formal now? Anyway, I'm still an agent." She raised her eyebrows at him.

"You're still not the right level so you don't have clearance, Cal." She faked being hurt and placed a hand over her heart.

"I usually have clearance for everything. Don't be mean to the old woman." She replied.

"You're not old."

"Says the young one who was born on July 8th, 1964." He looked at her shocked.

"You still remember?"

"Of course I do, Phil. It's only been a few years."

"It was great talking to you, Cal, but I've got to go."

"Bye, Coulson." They hugged then waved before Coulson left the building.

Cal stood there observing everyone whilst leaning against the bar until Tony came back.

"Two vodka martinis, extra dry, extra olives, extra fast. Make one of them dirty, will you?" He put a tip in the glass as Cal slid next to him.

"How'd it go?"

"Jesus." He muttered, clearly startled by her sudden appearance.

"Not quite, but thank you for thinking of me as a saviour." Cal joked just before Christine Everhart approached Tony. Tony noticed and deliberately faced the other way.

"Wow, Tony Stark." The woman glared at Cal. "And Calestous." She smirked.

"It's Cal." Cal muttered through gritted teeth. Tony sighed at the woman's unwanted appearance.

"Oh, hey."

"Fancy seeing you here." Cal's eyebrows furrowed. Why wouldn't they be there? It was, after all, a Stark annual benefit. Tony made several faces trying to think of the woman's name.

"Carrie."

"Christine." Cal immediately corrected.

"That's right." Tony said.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here tonight. Can I at least get a reaction from you?"

"Panic. I would say panic is my reaction."

"'Cause I was referring to your company's involvement in this latest atrocity."

"Yeah. They just put my name on the invitation. I don't know what to tell you."

"I actually almost bought it, hook, line and sinker."

"We were out of town for a couple of months, in case you didn't hear." Cal replied with annoyance.

"Is this what you call accountability?" She passed Tony some pictures. "It's a town called Gulmira. Heard of it?" Cal instantly thought of Yinsen. In one of the pictures, they could see the boss that hadn't spoken any English. There was destruction everywhere, including Stark weapons and even the Jericho.

"When were these taken?"

"Yesterday."

"I didn't approve of any shipment."

"Well, your company did."

"Well, I'm not my company." Tony left the building with the pictures in search of Obadiah.

"If wasn't him, I reckon it was you." Christine snarled at Cal.

"Yeah, sure it was me." Cal said sarcastically whilst rolling her eyes before following Tony out the door.

"Please, do you mind?" Obadiah said to a reporter with a camera whilst Tony tried to talk to him. Becoming fed up with the wait, Cal grabbed the pictures from Tony and pushed them towards Obadiah.

"Have you seen these pictures?" She asked him.

"What's going on in Gulmira?" Tony added.

"Tony, Cal. You can't afford to be this naive."

"You know what? I was naive before." Tony replied. "when they said 'Here's the line. We don't cross it. This is how we d business.' If we're double-dealing under the table-" Cal cut him off.

"Are we?"

"Tony, your picture please." A reporter shouted.

"Let's take a picture. Come on. Picture time!"

They turned around and faced the cameras, Christine standing a few steps behind them.

"Tony, who do you think locked you out? I was the one who filed the injunction against you. It was the only way I could protect you." With that, Obadiah left. Tony and Cal were stood there in shock.