Sunnydale AU: redux

[americas_son]

The day after Sherlock's phone call, Cal gets up early to stop by the Stark residence as promised.

He pulls into the driveway in the car Tony gave him - the only car he drives now - and sits there for a moment after he kills the engine. He takes a slow, steadying breath, hands still on the wheel.

He willingly volunteered for this, but he's not looking forward to it.

(Behind him, a security vehicle pulls into place. Peter doesn't usually send bodyguards with Cal to the Stark residence, but this morning he's sending a message, discreet but clear, that Cal is under protection at all times.)

After a couple moments, he gets out and heads for the door.

Comments

[poeticterms]

It unlocks for him as per usual.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal steps inside, hands in his pockets.

"Morning," he says, to anyone who might be within range to hear it.

[poeticterms]

"Good morning. Tony is in the kitchen, having a disagreement with the microwave."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal thinks about this as he heads toward the kitchen.

"Is it arguing back?"

Maybe that can be his excuse for being here - dragging Tony out of the house early to grab some breakfast somewhere before school.

[poeticterms]

"No, but nevertheless it appears to be winning."

[toblameforit]

Tony is indeed in the kitchen, and he is indeed giving the microwave a supremely sulky look as he extracts a lightly smoking Pop Tart.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Even with the tension running in the back of his mind, Cal can't help but snicker.

"I usually put those in the toaster," he says.

[toblameforit]

When he prods it with a fork, the ex-Tart goes clink. Clink is not a good sound here.

"I'll remember that for next time."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Clink is definitely not a good sound.

"Looks like I'm here just in time," Cal says. "I figured with Sherlock out of town, you might want to go somewhere to grab something before school."

[toblameforit]

"I miss him already. Yes, that would be fantastic," he says, abandoning his experiment on the counter. "You can't actually make glass out of sugar, but I think I just came close."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Cal says, "that looks kinda scary." He eyes the former pastry.

Okay. Now what does he know about breakfast places in Sunnydale?

"I think Marcy's Diner is open."

[toblameforit]

"Sounds good."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Cool."

Maybe, Cal thinks as they head back toward the front of the house, he won't run into Stane at all. It can't be all that long since his flight got in. Maybe he's asleep.

. . . which would kind of be missing the entire point of this visit, but. Still. Cal would be okay with that.

[chandler-npc.livejournal.com]

After Connolly reports in, complete with Mr Chandler's account of the hidden encounter with Obadiah Stane, Peter does a little multitasking, taking a moment or two to seethe over the fucking Chandler wilfulness as he runs a few cursory searches to find Sherlock.

They come up empty, but then he'd be disappointed if Sherlock had used an obvious alias.

He summons his professionalism and picks up the phone to contact Jarvis instead.

[poeticterms]

"Good morning, Mr Beardsley."

[chandler-npc.livejournal.com]

"Jarvis," Peter says. "I need to talk to Sherlock. Can you put me in touch with him?"

[poeticterms]

"Of course. One moment and I'll connect you."

[if_inconvenient]

After slightly longer than a moment:

"Yes?"

[chandler-npc.livejournal.com]

"Sherlock. Peter Beardsley."

No doubt Jarvis will have said as much, but some things are automatic.

[if_inconvenient]

"I assume you're calling about the events of this morning."

[chandler-npc.livejournal.com]

"You're already aware, then."

That is not entirely surprising.

[if_inconvenient]

"A crumb does not hit the floor in that house without my being aware of it. Yes, I know Cal visited Tony and had a conversation with Obadiah outside, which the latter abandoned in something of a hurry."

[chandler-npc.livejournal.com]

"Mm. He had Connolly let me know, in the exceedingly likely event that the whole thing blows up in his face."

At least he knew the steps to take after, and the importance of taking them right away. That gives Peter something to work with, at any rate.

He's been one of the major factors in Mr Chandler's swift and sharp lesson in asserting himself, and he doesn't regret that, but another practice round or two would have been nice before Mr Chandler decided to take on the current CEO of a major fucking weapons manufacturer.

[if_inconvenient]

"If the conflict becomes any more open than this I will have to inform Tony."

[chandler-npc.livejournal.com]

"Of course," Peter says. "Mr Chandler has managed to arrange things so he'll have an excuse to be there this afternoon as well, so that could be sooner rather than later."

Mr Chandler is taking his self-assumed task of Tonysitting very seriously.