Echoes

Happy Hogan had been having a crazy month. Well, a crazy few months he'd say but some would argue that his definition of crazy wasn't quite as exciting as others. He'd been busy driving Pepper all around California and sometimes in parts of Nevada. Since Tony Stark hadn't been out of the house lately for whatever reason, he'd been a little concerned he might lose his job. On top of that, Happy was going stir crazy. With nothing to do and no added responsibilities, Happy was beside himself with free time. That wasn't why he'd taken the job at Stark Industries. Happy was rather fond of Tony, he always had been. For awhile the two had been as thick as thieves.

Then New York had been invaded by some alien race and things had gone to hell. Tony had nearly died, risking his life to spare the city, and when he'd woken up he'd been a changed man. The change had been gradual. It was little things at first but then it compounded. Pepper hadn't noticed it the way Happy did. He'd even mentioned it a few times, asking if things were okay.

Then Tony stopped going out altogether. He'd canceled almost every appointment he'd made and when Happy had tried to make plans he'd been pushed off. So a month or so ago he'd asked Pepper if he could drive her somewhere. She'd been upset so he'd sat with her and asked what was wrong. Pepper was reluctant, she'd said it was nothing, but Happy could tell it was more than that.

Pepper was not the kind of woman to complain but she wasn't exactly known to suffer in silence either. Things with Tony weren't looking so great and Pepper didn't understand why. Her sorrow had very quickly melted into anger and Happy had been glad to lend her an ear. He'd always had a soft spot for Miss Virginia "Pepper" Potts. For awhile he'd even had a crush on her. But after years of pining and going unnoticed he'd given up. Especially after she'd connected so deeply with Tony.

Happy no longer had aspirations of a relationship with Pepper, at least not until the past few weeks. They'd spent hours talking and when she'd been sad and lonely, he had kept her company. The two had bonded. Pepper didn't want to be alone but she didn't want to be with Tony either and so Happy had gratefully given her the company she needed along with the shoulder to cry on.

Happy had since avoided Tony. The man had given him a job when he could no longer box, for Happy had, at one time, been a boxer. Hell, he'd had one of the best jobs around for awhile there! Working for Tony Stark as his personal driver! He got to see the world, live the high life, meet people he never would have gotten the chance to meet before. This included Pepper. Now Happy felt guilty so he avoided looking Tony in the eye. He knew his boss was going through something but he also knew that Tony would likely refuse any offer of help.

Things had become awkward when it came to the subject of Tony in general. Happy had always tried to be the voice of reason but it was hard not to comfort Pepper when she was upset. That day had been the same. Pepper and Tony had been fighting on and off all weekend. It was Monday and now he was on his way to Pepper's office to ask if she'd like to join him for lunch. He'd noticed she'd been particularly irate that morning and thought taking her to her favorite crepe place could cheer her up.

Now he stood in the lobby, chatting up the security guard at the front desk. Every morning he greeted the man with a smile and the two made small talk until Pepper arrived. Pepper was already in her office that morning and Happy was just trying to kill time until noon.

He wouldn't have to search long for something to distract him. The front doors opened up and in came a familiar but dangerous face. Scarlett Damien, dressed to the nines, carrying a briefcase, walked through the glass doors of Stark Industries and toward the security desk. She removed her sunglasses and walked straight toward him.

"Miss… Miss Damien?" Happy stuttered in disbelief. He'd only seen her in newspapers and interviews. Pepper had mentioned that Tony had been talking to her but every time she went on about it, Happy shut off. He hated when Pepper got jealous over whatever Tony was doing, maybe because it made him a bit jealous too. Still, standing in front of him, in the flesh, Scarlett was far more intimidating than the papers let on. Taller than he expected too.

"Yes." Scarlett smiled pleasantly and offered her hand to shake. "I know I'm a bit earlier than expected but I was able to get clearance for an earlier flight so…" Scarlett looked to the security officer and nodded her head in greeting. After her conversation with Jinx the week before Scarlett had seriously considered the job in Malibu. She decided that it didn't matter what anyone else wanted. She wanted to take the job so she would do it regardless of what S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted from her.

The temptation to put her in the field was just that. They'd been hoping to keep her placated, to keep her in Boston. Well, Scarlett didn't have the time to sit around and twiddle her thumbs anymore. Talking to Tony felt good, and Scarlett rarely felt good anymore so she was going to take it for whatever she could. Tony had promised he would set things up for her arrival and that Stark Industries was eager to have her. There would be an official press release the next morning, Tuesday, but some papers had already caught wind of the deal being solidified.

Scarlett was almost positive that Jinx had been responsible for that leak and she was partially glad. It was an easy subject to discuss with reporters, working with Tony Stark. Of course, some of them wanted to talk about the scene that had been made with Nathan and Stark the other night but Scarlett didn't even mind talking about that. As long as they stayed off of the subject of her health she was fine with it.

"Mr. Stark said you'd be coming?" Happy was perplexed. No one had warned him she'd be coming. He figured that with all the tumult between Pepper and Tony lately that something as big as Scarlett's arrival would be handled by Tony himself. Then again, Tony hadn't personally been to the office in months for more than a moment. Pepper had really been holding down the fort, at least until the last week.

He'd found her in her office with nothing to do, worried she was going to end up without a job particularly if she broke up with Tony. It was a sticky situation, to work with someone she dated but she pushed on nonetheless.

"He did. Said he had an office and a lab all set up for our project?" Scarlett wasn't surprised to be recognized but was surprised that no one seemed to be aware she was coming. Wasn't it a big deal that she was working with them? Or maybe Tony had kept it all to himself. This all seemed very weird to her. And it was unexpected on top of that. "I don’t mean to be rude but… who are you?"

"Oh, I'm uh… Happy. Happy Hogan, Mr. Stark's… I mean Miss Pott's driver." Happy stuttered and shook Scarlett's hand again nervously before looking around, unsure of what to do. Pepper was not going to be happy to see her there. He'd heard her talk about Scarlett in anger many times. Happy had no idea how she'd react to seeing the woman in person. "Mr. Stark isn't in right now."

"Well, when can you expect him?" Scarlett was puzzled. How did the company continue to function like this? Scarlett wasn't reconsidering the job offer but was going to mention to Tony that his place seemed sorta scattered these days. Natasha's words echoed in her mind again, telling her to avoid taking the job. How angry would the Black Widow be when she'd found that Scarlett had gone out of her way, ignored protocol, and had come to Malibu anyway? Probably pretty irritated but Scarlett couldn't care about that. She had to do what was best for her and working with Tony was the only thing that had excited her in the last few weeks.

The only person she'd felt any connection to since she'd approached S.H.I.E.L.D. had been Tony Stark and while that had seemed like a bad thing at first, now Scarlett clung to it. It was all she had left. Even the friends she had, or thought she had, seemed to be on a different planet than her most of the time. Scarlett was lost but so was Tony. At least they could be lost together.

"I… uh… well, let me take you to my boss for now. I'm sure she'll know what to do." Happy at least hoped that was the case.

"Alright." Scarlett smiled and then nodded toward the hallway when Happy didn't continue. "Lead the way."

"Oh, uh, yes." Happy smiled and then started down the hall after waving to the security guard. Scarlett took a deep breath and followed after Happy. She took in the scenery. Stark Industries was beautiful, pristine, modern, but something about it was off. It seemed to be severely lacking in that same spark that Tony left behind wherever he went. Happy knocked on the door to Pepper's office and opened the door before she could call him in. At first the redhead smiled at him and stood from behind her chair.

"Happy! What a…" Pepper stopped and her face fell when Scarlett entered the room behind him. She made no attempts to hide her distaste. "What is she doing here?"

"Miss Potts?" Scarlett stepped into the office, placed her briefcase down on the chair and walked toward Pepper with her hand extended and a smile on her face. She could feel the tension in the air but it didn't bother her. Scarlett never was easily intimidated. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Scarlett Damien. I presume Tony's told you all about the deal in place?"

"I know who you are." Pepper did not shake Scarlett's hand and instead walked past her. "I don't know what possessed you to come here but your services are not needed. We are doing just fine without you and your little… wannabe company!" Pepper practically spat venom as she spoke. Her usually bright blue eyes were dull and flashing with anger. Happy immediately regretted his decision to bring Scarlett to his friend.

"Okay…" Scarlett hesitated but Pepper continued.

"Stark Industries has been pushing history forward for nearly the last century and the last thing we need is help from women like you."

"Women like me?" Scarlett cocked a curious eyebrow. "What exactly do you think I am?"

"Yes! Women like you! I've seen the stories about you! I know just what kind of woman you are. Flaunting yourself all around just because you look like that. You're trouble, Miss Damien and Stark Industries doesn't need any more trouble. Your kind of help? Is not what we need here."

"You mean you aren't stuck on the energy project? There isn't a converter in need of my expertise? Really?" Scarlett was skeptical but almost a little amused by Pepper's obvious disdain for her. It wasn't anything new. The papers gave everyone the wrong impression about Scarlett all the time. Most of the time it was women who hated her the most. They thought she was a tramp, a home wrecker, using her feminine wiles for her personal gain when that hadn't at all been the case. But Scarlett never felt the need to fight the rumors. She had always been confident in her skills, in her expertise. Usually when in a room full of women who hated her she could win them over by avoiding all the drama. She wasn't so sure she was going to win Pepper over, not even a little.

"It's none of your business what goes on behind these walls. To hell with you and your reputation. Now if you'll excuse me…" Pepper walked to the door and held it open for Scarlett who did not budge.

"I'm thinking there's been some kind of a communication error here." Scarlett placed her hand on her hip. "I spoke last night with the CEO of Stark Industries and we had plans solidified. Contracts have already been signed, lawyers already involved. Maybe word hasn't spread down the proverbial vine yet."

"The CEO? You mean Tony?"

"Yes, Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries the last time I checked."

"I have been acting CEO for the last six months. Tony has barely been here in just as long. I don't care what contracts you've signed. Any company decisions come through my desk and go through me!"

"Calm down, there's no need to get catty." Scarlett scoffed.

"Oh, you have no idea what I'm like when I'm catty."

"Where is Tony, anyway? Maybe he can sort this out." Scarlett managed to keep a level head. She was a little disappointed to find Pepper in such a state. After all she'd read about the industrious woman she was hoping to bond with her, even if it was just a little bit. Instead, she was getting her head bitten off.

"That's none of your business."[br /]
"I was told there would be a workspace for me here when I arrived, albeit I am a few hours earlier than intended." Scarlett hoped to bring the conversation somewhere civil, where they could hopefully discuss things without fighting like teenagers. She didn't honestly have the energy for these sorts of arguments. It took more than a few nasty words to set Scarlett off.

"Well, tough."

"I don't know exactly what I've done to offend you but I can assure you, Miss Potts, that I did not come here to create a stir. I was told…"

"Oh, like hell you didn't!" Pepper shouted, slamming the door closed when Scarlett made it clear she wasn't walking out quite so easily.

"Excuse me?"

"Pepper, maybe you should calm down…" Happy whispered, reaching for Pepper's shoulder in an attempt to soothe her but the fiery red head shooed his hand away.

"I will not calm down!" Pepper scowled and Happy backed off, an apologetic look in his eyes. "All you do is stir the pot! I read the papers! You may have everyone fooled, even Tony, but you don't fool me."

"I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that." Scarlett rolled her eyes. She'd had enough of being yelled at. Apparently Tony hadn't yet bothered to communicate his grand plans to his girlfriend and now Scarlett was receiving a swift kick in the ass that may have been meant for him. She suddenly wondered what the appeal of his girlfriend was in the first place. It wasn't like she seemed particularly charming. Scarlett had been all sorts of charming when she'd come in and Pepper had done nothing but snap at her.

"Tony might not see past the blue eyes and all of… all of that!" Pepper gestured toward Scarlett.

"You mean the way I look. Because I must be only valuable because of my boobs, right?" Scarlett threw her a skeptical glance. "That's how women operate, right?"

"You know just what kind of a guy he is, everyone does! He's fooled by what he sees but I know what you're doing."

"And what is that, exactly? Because I thought I came here to work."

"Yeah, sure you did."

"If you're not going to help me can you direct me to someone who will? I've had enough of all the yelling. And insulting."

"You have done nothing but stomp all over our reputation since you came into the picture…"

"Reputation? Stark Industries was fading out of existence in the papers until Tony approached me. Did you mean before I threw you a lifeline? That sounds right."

"Right, because making headlines with my boyfriend at some theater has anything to do with business! You just like to make a mess and leave everyone else to clean it up!"

"He showed up at an event I attended. I'm not really sure how that makes anything out of me. Maybe I'm not the one you're upset with."

"Don't play innocent, Scarlett." Pepper narrowed her eyes and took a dangerous step closer. If Scarlett wanted to she could very easily subdue the tall woman, but she wasn't going to waste the energy. Besides, Pepper already didn't like her, she was sure that wouldn't make anything easier.

"Look, Pepper. I don't know what you read in the papers that got you all… irritated but you have to know by now that the media has a very creative way of spinning the truth." Scarlett took a deep breath and offered yet another smile. It would be her last attempt at niceties. "Haven't you worked with Tony for years? Haven't you seen the monster they painted him to be for so long? Even dating you, they basically printed every sideways glance he had at someone else as a rumor."

"That's because Tony was that man for a very long time. I know what the media does and I've spun stories for him for years, long before you were on the scene."

"Calm down, old money…"

"Do not tell me that there's no truth to what the media prints because I am not that naïve. You may have Tony fooled but I know that you're up to something. You're dangerous, Scarlett, and I'm not going to let you drag Stark Industries down with Refuge. You may be successful now, all over the papers, but Refuge will fade out of the limelight when your dirty past catches up with you. When that happens, Stark Industries will still be here to clean up the mess."

"Wow, you really do read all the papers."

"I like to know what our competition is like. And I don't see a threat with Refuge."

"That's because I'm not trying to threaten anyone. I had ideas to share with the world and so I did." Scarlett spoke darkly. Her last nerve was wearing thin. "As skeptical as you seem, I'm actually really interested in working on this energy project. It'll be Tony's life's work. He'll save the world with that thing and if it's a problem I can help solve then I'm happy to…"

"Take half the credit and the profits? No thank you."

"You aren't even trying to listen anymore. I think you might even be putting words in my mouth."

"Pepper, maybe we should call Tony." Happy knew the conversation was long out of control. Pepper wasn't herself, she was panicked and angry. All the venom she'd held inside of her for so long was coming flying out toward Scarlett who had seemed perfectly civil the entire time.

"I will not call Tony but I will call security. Either you get out of my office or I make you get out of my office!" Pepper pointed toward the door again.

"Pepper, you're overreacting." Happy whispered, hoping to calm her down but she threw him such a look that he stuttered on what would be his next words.

"I'm not going to fight with you Miss Potts." Scarlett picked her briefcase back up and started toward the door. "I'll get this all straightened out later, without you. Mr. Hogan, I appreciate you being so kind to show me the way here. Miss Potts, I'd say it's been a pleasure but it's kind of been a real mess." Scarlett didn't say another word and instead walked out the door. Pepper picked up the phone.

"Security! Miss Damien is in the hallway on her way back to the lobby. Please escort her off of the premises." Pepper hung up the phone before she could get a response. Happy stared at the redhead who was catching her breath but still staring intently at the door that Scarlett had walked through. He wasn't quite sure what to say. He'd never seen Pepper get that upset with anyone or anything before. She was usually such a level headed woman with the utmost respect for other business women. It had to be the fact that Tony was so over the moon with Scarlett that had gotten to her.

"You're much prettier than she is." Happy spoke gingerly, hoping to at least calm Pepper down a little bit. He wasn't quite sure what the real problem was. If it was jealousy, maybe she just needed to be reassured of what an amazing woman she was.

"That is not why I sent her away!" Pepper snapped at him but Happy didn't back down.

"I don't get it then." Happy furrowed his brow.

"Don't start with me, Happy."

"It's a good move for the company. We need the press. She was right. Stark Industries sort of revolves around Tony. Without him to stir up the press for us, we don't have any. Scarlett's got tons of press without even trying."

"That's not a good thing, Happy."

"But it could be if you worked with her. You're a brilliant business woman, Pepper! If you partnered up with Scarlett, you two could be quite the team. Tony's trying to get back into the limelight but even now all of his press revolves around her."

"I know that." Pepper finally took a deep breath and stared at the door. The rage was finally subsiding. She'd been caught off guard, that was all. Every night for the past week she'd had bad dreams about Scarlett and so she'd been pondering all morning just what she was going to do about the situation. Then lo and behold Scarlett shows up in her office and Pepper couldn't hold herself back, not even a little.

Maybe she was being ridiculous.

Shouldn't she give Scarlett a chance at the very least? Happy was right. They were both intelligent business women and women were so rarely taken seriously in front of the media. For all she knew, Scarlett's press was complete garbage and she could have just been someone the media was trying to destroy. But Pepper had such a nasty feeling in the pit of her stomach when it came to Scarlett. Even looking at her put her nerves on edge. No, there was definitely something about her, something she wasn't telling the world. Whatever it was, Pepper knew it was trouble.

"Maybe you should try to look at all this from a different perspective." Happy was relieved that Pepper had at least let some of the tension go. Her hands weren't shaking with rage anymore and she seemed to be thinking rationally at long last.

"Oh yeah?"

"Whatever that was, it wasn't a personal attack. Maybe it really was just business."

"I know that, Happy." Pepper sighed and there was a knock at the door so she slowly started toward it. "It's just not that easy to let it go. She's spent more time with him than I have in the last month and… I don't see that changing with this deal." Pepper knew that it was partially her own fault that things had gotten so terrible with Tony, but she didn't quite feel like she was the one that should be apologizing. She'd reached out, only a few days ago, and yet he had done nothing to try and make it better.

Maybe he didn't want to.

She wasn't sure she wanted to either.

"I'm, uh… you called for tech support?" A tall man in a lab coat with glasses stood at the door, his laptop tucked under his arm. He glanced from Pepper to Happy and back again. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"No, not at all. Please come in." Pepper nodded and held open the door for the technician.

"Tech support?" Happy whispered under his breath.

"My computer's been acting funny. It's not quite synching up with Jarvis the way that it's supposed to so I thought I should get it looked at. It's old now anyway. Usually Tony has upgraded everything by now and he hasn't been around." Pepper pointed to her desk, wiggled her mouse and the computer jumped to life. "Here you go."

"Thank you, Miss Potts." The man sat down, flipped open his laptop and began to type on the keyboard.

"I think I need some fresh air." Pepper whispered, staring longingly out the window. If she could go back in time twenty minutes she would. Yelling at Scarlett the way she had was immature. What if Scarlett reported her fit to the media? That was the last thing the company needed.

"Well, you're in luck because I was thinking we should grab something to eat!" Happy smiled, at long last remembering why he was there in the first place. "That crepe place is open a little earlier today. What do you say?"

"Crepes? Happy, you know me so well." Pepper finally smiled. She turned to the tech and leaned over the desk. "Is there anything else you need before I leave?"

"Just your passcode, ma'am."

"Oh, of course." Pepper laughed and then shuffled around a few papers on her desk before finding a thinning stack of post-it notes and writing her lengthy password for him on it. She slid it toward him and then walked back to Happy.

"Thank you very kindly. I'll have it fixed before you return." The tech smiled, eager and excited to be working on his boss' computer.

"Thanks so much. You're a lifesaver." Pepper grabbed her coat off of the hook near the door and then walked out. "Come on Happy, let's go grab something to eat." Pepper had three thousand things on her mind. She'd nearly forgotten about her broken computer. Usually she would have had Tony fix it, that’s why she'd kept putting it off. She'd hoped he would turn up in the office to do it for her and then the two could really talk like old times. Maybe old times weren't in the cards for her, for them. Maybe it was time for Pepper to really start looking forward instead of trying to repair what was beyond it.

She stole a glance at Happy and smiled. The driver was talking about something or other he'd done that morning, relieved to know that he'd calmed her down. And he really had. He hadn't backed down when she'd gotten angry, he hadn't made a million excuses or turned off emotionally. He'd told her how it was and allowed her to get it out of her head. He hadn't ridiculed her, not even a little.

Pepper was going to do her best to forget about Scarlett, at least for the time being. For now, all that mattered were crepes and Happy Hogan.