Random Wanderings (Abby Stark/Polaris)

[lorna]

Lorna watched the interaction between Tony Stark (which was still a bit baffling to her) and Abigail. He did seemed to have been a bit worried, which was a good sign. The last thing the girl needed was a father who didn't notice when she wasn't around. Abby was desperately in need of someone who was supportive, someone who would be there for her and someone to wipe her tears away. While Lorna had been that for a short time, she knew it wasn't her place and she didn't want it to be. She would be happy to be Abby's friend but not her parent. That was Tony's job. A slight shiver ran down her spine when Abby said she'd reminded her of her mother.

She tried to give the money and her number to Abby and while the girl took the paper, she refused the money. Lorna opened her mouth to argue then snapped it shut, realizing that these people would never miss twenty dollars in the same way she would. Taking the jacket back from Abby, she slipped it on. It was going to be a walk back to her car and this time, she'd be properly dressed for it. At least the water marks on her sweater were already fading from where the girl had cried against her.

Without even thinking of it, she reached up and tucked a lock of Abby's hair behind her ear and smiled at her. “You're a good kid, Abigail. I enjoyed our walk,” she said, ready to take her leave. She'd promised Abby she would get her home and she had done her job, as it were.

Before she could move, though. Tony pinned her with his gaze and she could have sworn he was trying to look into her soul. Her own eyes were transfixed on his as he thanked her again and for a moment, her mind wandered slightly toward other things that would have been super inappropriate for a thirteen year old to hear.

His invitation to stay registered and Lorna broke off eye contact and looked at Abby, not really sure what to say. The girl needed her father but if he was just going to be leaving her alone after the trauma she'd gone through, well, that just didn't settle well with her. But she didn't want to impose. She did that the second she'd opened her mouth at the restaurant.

Abby reiterated what happened to Tony and Lorna glanced toward the elevator, wondering if she should just stay out of their business. It really wasn't like her to get involved in someone else's personal life like that.

Then, before she knew what was going on, Tony Stark was actually opening his door and inviting her into his home, not just making a token gesture. Completely unsure at this point, she hesitated and replied, “I don't really want to intrude. I promised Abigail I'd make sure she got home safely then I'd leave you guys alone...”

[safetytronic]

Abby felt her tummy rumble in protest to not eating anything that day, and having the sudden run from the media didn’t help matters much. Especially when she had to abandon her lunch when that private detective had shown up looking for her. She suspected that her uncle was behind that one, but she didn’t know what he was trying to accomplish. She knew that her uncle didn’t even know who her father was, and for that she was grateful.

"That is puzzling, well at least your safe, I'm going to look into it. In till then I want you to stay in the Tower in till I have this resolved okay Abigail. Don't want something happening to you. Anyway if you need anything tell Jarvis and he will tell one of the many staff here and they will get it for you"

She nodded her head in answer to his new instructions. ”Okay. So no leaving the Tower without someone with me. Got it.” She had no doubt that Jarvis and her father’s staff would acquire anything she needed, but she still liked to get things herself. She figured that since he said that he had to get ready for a party, that she wouldn’t be up to attend herself. When in reality, she just wanted to be shut up in her room and work on her new project to keep her mind off of her troubles.

”I don’t really want to intrude. I promised Abigail I’d make sure she got home safely then I’d leave you guys alone…”

Abby blushed slightly when she felt Lorna tuck a stray hair behind her ear, and fought back the tears once more. Her mother used to do that as well, and she promised that she would cry the first time she is alone. No one needs to know that she was the cause of her mother’s death, and she will always blame herself for it. ”You wouldn’t be intruding Lorna… Dad says he has a prior engagement to get ready for, and I really haven’t eaten alone since I got back…” She said trailing off, not wanting to acknowledge her time in that warehouse. Since her father had rescued her from the imploding building, she truly hasn’t ate anything alone.

Before her friend could change her mind, she stepped through the door to her new home and waited for Lorna’s answer to the invitation.

[TONY STARK]

Tony looked at Abigail and the women as he was at the door and smiled at them both. It seemed as the women was quite humble seeing as she didn't want to intrude in on them. Though she did seem star struck for some reason. He wondered why she was like that, he thought possibly it was because she found out that Abigail was his daughter. It was true that he hasn't announced it yet and he felt like it was going to cause him a lot of trouble when he did. He was actually planning on announcing it at the party today if everything went well enough. He then wondered how Pepper was going to take it seeing as she might actually yell at him for it. Tony hoped it wouldn't end that way but the possibility never left his mind.

He again then looked at Abigail and what he guessed was her name Lorna seeing as Abby called her that. He looked to Lorna and smiled at her making eye contact again. "It's no trouble at all Ms. Lorna, but if you want to go I can have one of my chauffeurs escort you to you vehicle if you wish". She did seem however like something was on her mind. At that moment he decided to do a background check on Lorna just to see who and what she was. As he connected to the main frame of SHIELD through his head he searched the data base for a Lorna. Details started to come up, data and different information on her. It seemed she was part of the X-men as a magnetic inducer. He also got something on her parents and it seemed she was adopted, her real father was..Magneto?

After looking at that he thought back to earlier today, about a women he met that said her father was Magneto. He puzzled if whether or not they knew each other but then again he wouldn't bring it up. He thought why would he ask, she would know he was doing some check on her. So he decided to ignore it for now seeing as she didn't seem all that bad and it looked like Abby trusted her. He continued to look at Lorna wondering what she would do. He noticed that Abigail walked through the door and got relaxed again. "Well Lorna how about it?" he asked her with smile.

[lorna]

Guilt stabbed at her gut as Abby looked at her with those large, pleading eyes. They really hadn't eaten their lunches, had left the restaurant in a bit of a hurry although that waitress was sporting a hefty tip that night. And she really was still cold and coffee sounded quite nice at that moment. But she really didn't want to be a bother...

Mr. Stark offered to have someone drive her to her car although that confused her a bit. How did he know that she had a car in the city? One that was likely sporting a very huge parking ticket if it hadn't been towed away already...Lorna barely suppressed a groan as she thought about that. Parking tickets and impoundments were astronomical in New York and she'd probably have to take out a loan to pay for it.

If she had known for a second that someone else on this planet thought that Magneto was her father, she probably would have lost her temper. It was getting insane. The background check wouldn't have bothered her but the connection to Magneto? Yeah, she'd never, ever accept that.

Finally, it seemed they were going to make up her mind for her and Lorna couldn't resist the girl. She'd been through so much and it was really impossible to tell her no. Especially after all she'd learned today. Lorna didn't want to be someone else that disappeared from her life although there shouldn't have been much of a connection yet at all.

Gracing him with a smile, she finally replied, “Okay, I'll come in for a little while. I really don't have any plans for the rest of the day.” Well, that and she wanted to make sure that Abby got a decent, proper meal, even if she had to make it herself. “Besides, a cup of coffee sounds good,” she added as she moved forward and stepped across the threshold into the most luxurious apartment she'd ever seen in her entire life.

[safetytronic]

First thing that Abby did when she entered the penthouse, was to go directly over the couch that her and her father had shared burgers on a few nights ago and deposited her purchases that she somehow managed to keep a hold of. Her mind of course was already a few hours ahead and in her room…alone. She knew that she would be working on something that would be in memorial of her mother, and began to wonder if everyone would like it. She pulled herself back to the situation at hand just in time to hear her father ask if Lorna would take the offer or not. Before she knew it, she was sitting at the bar pouring herself a glass of orange juice before sipping it for the nutritious value it contained.

”Okay, I’ll come in for a little while. I really don’t have any plans for the rest of the day. … Besides, a cup of coffee sounds good,”

She couldn’t help but give a small smile as her friend finally took the invitation, and finished her glass before pouring herself another one. She knew that stress can weaken someone’s immune system, and she had been through a whole lot of stress lately. She also knew that orange juice contained vitamin C, and that helps with the immune system. She needed all the help she could get. She looked up to her dad, and then to Lorna. ”Is it alright if I have some soup?” She asked him, wondering if Lorna would want any or not. She knew she seemed a bit distracted now that she was home, and her mind was going everywhere at once.

[TONY STARK]

As Lorna accepted the inventation inside he held the door long enough for her to enter and then closed the door. After closing the door he noticed Abby sitting on the couch relaxing. She seemed to have a rough day and he was happy that she felt comfortable at least. He wonder how she was holding up on her mother dying but from her eyes he could tell she wasn't. Tony then started to wonder what he could do for her to help her along the way but, he didn't know what. He looked at away as his armor started to melt away back into his body. He then continued to walk over to the bar where he notice Abby was going over to. As she poured her orange juice, he poured his whiskey with her and downed it with her in unison. And then again in unison as Abby poured her drink Tony poured his and drank it with her.

He looked to Lorna as she said that she would like some coffee, he nodded at her and smiled. Tony then got up and went over to the already made coffee pot and started to pour some for Lorna. He then walked over to Lorna and handed her the coffee with a smile. After giving the coffee cup to Lorna he then turned to Abby who asked for some soup. Tony nodded at her, "Jarvis you awake?" he asked as he walked over to the bar. Yes sir what would you like me to do?. "I would like you to tell one of the people down stairs to go get some nice food, some soup and some well done steaks". Jarvis understood and went to do the order as Tony went to sit down on the couch and looked over to Lorna. "You can sit you know this house isn't going to shock you" he told her jokingly.

[lorna]

Lorna slipped out of her jacket as she entered the penthouse. It was nothing short of spectacular but what else would one expect from a man as wealthy as Tony Stark. One thing was very clear to her. Abby would never lack for anything and if Tony could give her a father's love, then the girl would be very lucky indeed. He'd never replace her mother but he could definitely do some saving of a little (well, not little physically) thirteen year old and make her life somewhat normal again.

In all reality, it made her wish to revisit her aunt and uncle and thank them for all they'd done when she'd been orphaned as a baby. She'd not treated them well lately, mostly due to shock of learning so many things at once about her own past and now the guilt was settling in. But she'd deal with that later. First, she wanted to make sure that Abby was settled in, warm up a bit then take off. She really did feel she was intruding in their privacy and could well imagine how many other people, women mostly, would like to be in her position at the moment. It made her more uncomfortable.

She stood by, the feeling of intrusion growing as she bit her bottom lip slightly and watched as Stark's suit seemed to dissolve into his body, much the way his helmet had done moments before. She'd felt her powers sensing his every movement but figured it had been because he was wearing it. Now, she still felt every move he made and there was really one other person who'd ever made her powers sizzle like that. Logan. She could feel, could minutely trace, every tiny bit of metal within the man.

Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she glanced around the apartment again, trying to regain some control over her natural abilities. It was like being trapped inside a metallic room with no way in or out and feeling the entire room coursing through your body. There was no way to really define it. Lorna watched as Abby poured a glass, then another, of juice and Tony followed suit with whiskey. The feeling of intrusion continued to grow.

He seemed to remember her then, going to get a cup of coffee and then handing it to her. She smiled as the warmth flooded through the cup and into her still chilly fingers. It smelled better then any coffee she'd ever smelled before and she had a feeling it probably cost more then she'd ever want to know. Taking a small sip, she savored it for a moment. Definitely better then the stuff she usually ordered from the coffee shop on campus. “Thank you,” she told him, feeling the warmth spread through her body.

Abby asked for soup and it was all she could do to not nod her approval at the girl. When Tony verbally asked if “Jarvis” was awake, she looked around, expecting to see a butler or something appear in the room. Instead, a disembodied voice sounded through the room and her mouth fell open a tiny bit. He ordered soup for Abby and steaks, for himself she assumed.

She was still in awe of the talking apartment when she felt Tony look back over at her and offered her a seat, in his own way. Without even thinking, she replied, “Shocks wouldn't do anything to me.” Having no clue that the two of them had figured out she was a mutant, she quickly added, “I'm still getting a bit used to the idea of a talking house. That's pretty incredible.”

Moving over to the sofa, she sat down and laid her coat over her lap and cradled the coffee in her hands. Realizing that she'd never actually introduced herself to him, she felt a bit sheepish as she said, “I'm Lorna Dane, by the way. I'm a graduate student at Empire State University.” There, that should suffice for an introduction, she hoped.

[safetytronic]

Abby noticed that her father had joined her at the bar, and in a way that would have been comical if it wasn’t so darned serious that the two of them had seemed to sync their movements in drinking their drinks. Abby was of course tired from running from the press and then have a private investigator show up looking for her was just a bit too much for her to handle at the moment. She was glad her father had told her he would take care of the PI, but she would have to find a way of dealing with the press herself somehow. She then listened to her father give Jarvis some instruction, before sitting down on the couch and then telling Lorna that the house wasn’t wired for shocking people.

“I'm Lorna Dane, by the way. I'm a graduate student at Empire State University.”

She then heard Lorna’s answer to her father’s shocking joke, and groaned. She had already figured out what Lorna was, but it didn’t bother her the least. She then poured herself one more glass of OJ and then walked over to the other end of the couch to enjoy it. She then looked over to her friend when she mentioned that she was studying at Empire State, and grinned wide. ”That is amazing! I’m a student at NYU!” She exclaimed and wondered if she only made her friend feel worse for being there.

[TONY STARK]

Tony looked to Lorna as she accepted the warm coffee and started to drink the warm drink. As he thanked he he nodded a bit and smiled at her as he relaxed on couch. He hadn't a time to relax all day since the morning and even that wasn't that much of a relax. It seemed one after another things where happening in a sequence. First a meeting of a women who seemed to bend reality upside down. Then after that he finds out that Abigail was being chased by this PI and reporters. He didn't much worry about the reporters seeing as it came with the territory. What he did however worry about the PI that seemed to want to find and catch Abigail. He pondered for a moment, wondering if it was really her uncle who send the person to find her.

But at the moment he couldn't really worry about that, he was just glade that she was alright. He looked over to Lorna again as she sat down on the couch with her cup of coffee. He smiled again at her, "Oh right, well let me introduce you to him, this is Jarvis the houses main AI system" he told her with a smile.

As Lorna introduced herself he smiled and looked into her eyes as he watched Abby sit next to them. He looked over to Abby who smiled and and shouted out that she was in NYU. He smiled at Abby before he went and grabbed Lorna hand and kissed it softly. "Well it's nice to meet you Ms. Dan I'm Tony Stark and I'm glade you helped out Abigail". He then let go of her hand and looked over to Abby, "How are you feeling Abby are you feeling a bit better?".

[lorna]

She looked around the room a bit, still marveling at the AI that was in place there. As she was introduced to the computer, she smiled a bit and said, “Pleased to meet you, Jarvis.” This was actually rather cool although she wouldn't like the idea of knowing that something could watch her as she took a shower, even if that something wasn't a person.

Lorna tilted her head slightly at Abby when she groaned. She had absolutely no idea what she'd said to make the girl do that and really doubted that she'd caught onto her comment about shocks but Abby had already surprised her a bit. As she exclaimed that she was a student at NYU, Lorna's eyes grew a bit wider. Only she would manage to run into the only thirteen year old was in the city who went to college. Given how intelligent Tony was rumored to be, however, Lorna shouldn't have been surprised.

“Do you have a field of study or are you taking general courses?” she asked the girl. It was actually no wonder the child seemed so much older then she was. She was truly thirteen going on twenty five in so many ways.

Remembering to introduce herself to the man whose home she was currently occupying, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he reached for her hand and then kissed it. She couldn't help the slight flush that crept into her cheeks at the gesture, partly because it was move that she'd only seen in movies before and partly because this was Tony Stark, New York City's most eligible bachelor.

That actually brought her back to earth as she realized that he likely greeted all women in such a manner and she was no exception to that. The man was a renowned playboy and she wasn't one to get involved in something that would lead to nothing. The few times she'd been to frat parties and been drunk when she was an undergrad didn't count...

Drawing her hand back to the warmth of her cup, she replied, “It was actually my pleasure to help Abby. She's been very nice company and has given my life a bit of an adventure.” Lorna smiled warmly at the girl as she said that. They didn't need to know about her “other” life and the fact that at times, it was much too full of adventure of her own tastes.

As Tony asked his daughter if she was feeling better, her gaze remained on the girl and she also waited for her answer.

[safetytronic]

Abby was relieved that her friend didn’t feel awkward around her. How many thirteen year olds were just a few years shy of obtaining two degrees at once? Not many, she was sure of. Her mind started to wonder as she saw her father kiss Lorna’s hand, she was actually glad that it didn’t quite register what that meant to Lorna and her father. Her mind was already so far off that it would have taken a telescope to see where it went.

”Do you have a field of study or are you taking general courses?”

Lorna’s question reeled her mind back to Earth, and she smiled wide at her. She didn’t know what her friend was studying, but she was eager to tell her what she was studying. ”I’m actually in my last year of getting my master’s degree in engineering, and two more years to get my bachelor’s in computer science. What are you studying?” She asked truly interested in the answer. She had no idea that not many college aged students could accomplish two degrees at once, much less a child of her age.

"How are you feeling Abby are you feeling a bit better?"

Abby’s mind started to wonder once again as she waited on her friend’s answer, and was brought back again this time by her father’s question. She returned her attention to her father and friend, and squirmed just a bit at the looks they were giving her. She felt like she was on the stand at a very important trail as they waited on her answer. ”Just a bit…” She finally answered with a small sad smile. She still blamed herself for her mother’s demise.

[TONY STARK]

Tony looked to the Lorna and Abby as the conversed about Abby's schooling which he was quite proud of her. He was actually happy that she had his smarts seeing as she would make a great engineer one day. It made him think back to his dad who built the company and founded Stark Industries. He started to wonder if his dad wanted him to be the same, but seeing as he made SHIELD he must have. Though he knew mostly that he wanted him to better himself in the end and do right for himself. And with the Iron Man suit he was, or at least he was trying to make right.

After dozing off into thought he heard them talk about Abby's major which of course Engineering and Computer science. He couldn't help the smirk on his face when he heard that. She at least was doing what he did which honestly any father would want there kids to do. Plus it would be easier to show them around then a kid who choose a different career path and you didn't know anything about it. And it also meant if anything were to happen to him at least someone could carry on the mantle of Iron Man, well in this case Iron Women when she grew up.

Then after Tony greeted Lorna he noticed her cheeks flush a bit and found her beautiful at that moment. He wondered how her hair got green but then again from what he gained from her file she was born like that. Though there wasn't anything wrong with it, if anything it added to her character. She seemed different and he liked that and just simply smiled a bit at her.

But a few seconds past when Abby answered his question on whether she was feeling a bit better from before. He looked at her a bit and smiled trying to figure out how to cheer her up. But before he could say anything he heard a knock at the door. It seemed there food arrived seeing as Jarvis put up a screen of the man with the food. He then walked over to the door and took the food nodding a bit and closing the door. He walked over to Lorna and Abby sitting on the couch and kicked the coffee table, making it rise so they could eat off of it.

"Well ladies here is your meal for the evening, the finest meat and soup you could buy in town" he told them smiling. He started to seperate the steak and soups from each other and placing one of each in front of them both. Tony then walked over the bar and took out some silver ware for them and placed it in front of them.

[lorna]

She really couldn't help the stab of jealousy that shot through her as Abby informed her that she was in the process of not only finishing up a bachelors degree but also on her last year of a masters. Had she been going to college since she was eight? Insecurity was something she had dealt with big time when she was younger but she'd overcome a lot of it as she'd gone on to college and had made some really good friends amongst the X-Men. However, one little thirteen year old girl made a lot of those feelings come flooding back.

Lorna was almost embarrassed to say anything else. Abby suddenly made her feel so inadequate and the poor kid had absolutely no idea she'd even done anything. She hadn't done anything wrong at all, though. If Lorna had been in her position, she would have been rather proud as well.

“I'm currently working on getting my masters in geology,” she replied, her voice lowering a bit and looking away. It all seemed so pale in comparison...

Her attention was brought back by Tony kissing her hand and making her blush. The fact that he seemed to watching her made Lorna want to squirm under the intensity of her gaze but she managed to sit still. Somehow.

Lorna's attention was drawn back to Abby as Tony asked her how she was doing and no matter how brilliant the kid might have been, she was still a little girl who'd recently lost her mom. Lorna put that into perspective and was also genuinely curious as to her answer. The hesitation was noticed immediately and she made a mental note to talk to Tony before she left. Alone without Abby around. He needed to know a few of the things the girl had spilled to her, things that were important.

In fact, she was about to excuse herself when a knock came at the door and a monitor popped up in thin air, showing who was at the door. That was rather interesting. She was captivated by the technology that she really didn't pay any attention to him answering the door nor gathering up the food. It wasn't until the monitor disappeared and he kicked the coffee table that she remembered she was going to leave.

Until he set the plate in front of her and said that dinner was served. Lorna looked at the food for a moment, then started, “But I thought...that is...” She looked up at him as he placed the silverware in front of her with a smile. Shaking her head slightly, she smiled back and added, “Never mind. Thanks for the dinner.”

It was probably more food then she'd be able to eat but it really had been a while since she'd had a decent meal. If nothing else, she'd have a full stomach to deal with the getting her back from being impounded. She had no doubt that she'd left the meter way too long and it was pretty hopeless in a city like New York.

[safetytronic]

Abby’s mind had wondered back to the loss of her mother, and how she deemed it her fault. She was, well for a lack of a better word, down. Lorna was a comfort, but she wasn’t her mother. She missed her already, and wondered if she would want her daughter to move in with her father upon her death if she was still too young to make it on her own. She didn’t know the answer to that, and felt a lone tear slid down her cheek to her jaw. She lifted the back of her sleeve and quickly wiped it away, hoping that no one had noticed it.

”I’m currently working on getting my masters in geology,”

She looked back to her friend and gave a smile. ”That sounds like fun! However, I don’t think I can do that… I would be so totally lost…” She commented on the subject. She wasn’t lying, not without any knowledge prior to taking any courses in geology she would be like a ship lost at sea. A drift. She was once again brought back to the living room with a knock at the door, and Jarvis letting her father know that it was the courier with their food. She could smell the soup and stakes from the door make it’s way to her nose. In response her tummy growled letting her know that it was empty.

”Well ladies here is your meal for the evening, the finest meat and soup you could by in town”

Abby watched with a look of sadness and hunger as her father served them, and kicked the coffee table to make it easier for them to eat off of. Of course her mind couldn’t stay focused and wondered back to her mother. She closed her eyes to keep her father and Lorna from seeing the tears well up, and the sadness enter her eyes. She then opened them slowly when her father placed silverware in front of her and Lorna. ”Thanks…Dad.” She said politely and as if she was trying out the name for him. She felt weird calling anyone Dad as she never had anyone like that in her life.

[TONY STARK]

Tony looked at both girls before he left to go and get them their food at the door. He took notice of Abigail who seemed to be sad, and she had every right to be. She had recently lost her mother and she basically had to leave her old life for a new one without as much as a warning. And he had a feeling that she felt that she was responsible for her mothers death seeing as he felt the same when his friend back in his own captivity was killed by his captives. It made him want to change the entire out look of his company, in which he did. But then again his weapons where used against the people they were meant to protect so that was also on his conscious. That wasn't however the point right now, the point right now was Abigail and how was he going to help her handle the loss.

Before the courier knocked on the door he heard Lorna say something about her getting her masters in Geology. He looked at her again and smiled looking into her eyes. "That's great once you get it I can talk to certain people and get you into your field faster if you want". He knew a couple of people in the field and they needed more Geologists everyday so it was perfect for her. Well perfect in the sense if she wanted the help. He looked over to Abigail who responded to Lorna saying her field. Tony smiled at Abigail, seeing as she mainly focuses on Technology she most likely doesn't know much out of that field. Though he knows perfectly well if she put her mind into it she could do it like everyone else maybe even faster.

Once he brought the food over to them and placed the silver ware down for them and took another look to Abigail. He noticed her closing her eyes and looking of sadness on her. As she thanked him, he smiled lightly walking over to her and slightly hugging her. "It's alright Abby I'm here for you don't worry about a think okay?" he told her. He knew that she was hurting inside and it must have been killing her seeing as she is still very young. Tony knelt down a bit and whipped her eyes slightly making sure there were no tears. He patted her head slightly as he slightly sat down next to Abby. Tony looked over to Lorna who also thanks him for the food. "It's no problem Lorna your welcome to anything".

Tony then decided to see if he could find anything else on Lorna when he got a little alert for her. It wasn't anything bad but what he read in his head was that her car had just gotten towed away. He raised a brow and communicated to Jarvis through his thoughts and told him to pay for the tow. Plus get one of the drivers to go and pick up the car and place it in front of the tower so when Lorna wanted to leave she didn't have to walk all the way to her car again. He looked up to Lorna and smiled.