Echoes

Scarlett hadn't been entirely surprised to have security waiting for her in the lobby of Stark Industries to escort her off of the premises. Pepper had lost her mind at the mere sight of her and she was honestly astounded it hadn't gotten physical. The redhead looked like she was about to kick off her heels and jump at Scarlett to pull her hair out or something. Scarlett chuckled at the very mental image. Pepper would have no idea what she was up against if she started that fight. Besides, Scarlett wasn't the type to fight over a man. That was just petty. Men were a dime a dozen, women definitely did not need to fight over them.

"Miss Damien? May I have a word?" Scarlett was woken from her reverie by Dianne Hendricks. The woman had cut her hair shorter since she'd last seen her. Looking around, Scarlett half expected to be in Boston.

Nope, still a parking lot in California.

"You're an east coast reporter, what are you doing here?" Scarlett wondered if maybe her visit with Pepper was some weird fever dream and she had spent the last few hours wandering aimlessly around Boston. The sun was shining overhead and palm trees lined the streets nearby. She was absolutely not in Boston.

"I heard you were coming here and I wanted to speak with you."

"You are a relentless little thing, aren't you?" Scarlett scoffed and looked behind her to where Stark Industries loomed overhead, blocking out the sun. She leaned against the car she rented and folded her arms over her chest. "What do you want?"

"I found something that might interest you." Dianne was eager to share with Scarlett. Refuge was still her favorite subject to report on. It had become, with time, less of a job and more of an obsession.

"If it's gossip, I'm pretty over it so you'll be wasting your time." Scarlett nodded her head and let out a sigh. "I've had enough of that to last a lifetime." Scarlett glanced back toward the Stark building again and felt the guilt swell inside of her. She was already a mistress in the eyes of Pepper Potts. Where was the fun in that? All the blame with none of the actual excitement that came with it. Scarlett was beginning to think she'd missed an exciting opportunity by refusing to spread her legs for Tony Stark. "If you're so desperate for a story you'd follow me here why don't I help you? I can give you some way more interesting information on people back in Boston. That party the other night? Wow, I heard some stuff and it could be very good for you."

"It's not gossip."

"It pretty much always is." Scarlett weighed the options, trying to recall a piece of writing that wasn't conjecture in the last week.

"It's about the Hurst family." Dianne spoke quickly. It was hard to keep Scarlett's attention, it always had been. She'd managed to on several occasions and other reporters had been jealous that she'd been given such attention but Dianne Hendricks had prided herself on her work. Scarlett didn't seem particularly interested but she didn't turn away either. In truth, Scarlett was turning over the name in her head and weighing her options.

"I'm listening." She finally decided.

"Could we discuss this somewhere more private? This isn't exactly the best place for an interview."

"It's not an interview. You said you had information for me." Scarlett clarified.

"You know what I meant." Dianne smiled a little.

"Fine. Did you drive here?" Scarlett peered around Dianne in search of a low budget car that would surely come with the small paper she wrote for.

"I took a cab."

"Fine, get in." Scarlett nodded to the car behind her and got in the driver's seat. Dianne hesitated but then did as she was told. Was she really taking a ride with Scarlett Damien? This was a story in and of itself. No other reporter had ever been awarded such an opportunity and Dianne was not going to take it for granted. Nor would she risk getting kicked out of the car. "Coffee good for you?"

"What kind of a reporter would I be if I didn't live on coffee?"

"I forget that you're funny." Scarlett chuckled and shifted the car into gear before pulling out of the parking lot. "Haven't seen you around lately. Sick? Vacation?"

"No, just busy with other work."

"I was beginning to think I was your sole story for awhile there." Scarlett navigated the streets away from Stark Industries and back toward the thriving town of Malibu. She'd spied a coffee shop when she'd driven through earlier and had made a mental note of it.

"No, I've got quite a bit going on. My husband's at home with the kids and I had to give him some time to get his own work done. So I've done a bit of my researching from home."

"Oh, that's right, you're married. I forgot you corrected me."

"I did."

"What, did you think I was hitting on you or something?" Scarlett teased, pulling into the parking lot. She made a point to drive aggressively. After all, she had an image to uphold didn't she? Plus, it was kind of fun to scare reporters.

"Oh… uh… no, I mean… I just…"

"You are cute, after all. And the paper does seem to think I swing both ways." Scarlett turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. The dark skinned woman climbed out of the passenger seat and stuttered, her eyes wide.

"Do you?"

"Are you interested?"

"I just told you I'm married."

"Apparently that doesn't matter to me either." Scarlett didn't break eye contact and Dianne seemed suddenly nervous. Finally Scarlett laughed and swatted the top of the car. "Oh, come on. Stop believing the press already. You know what a load of crap most of it is." Dianne laughed nervously and was inwardly relieved. For a moment she'd really thought the notorious business woman was hitting on her.

"So you're not…"

"I'm not hitting on you." Scarlett walked around the car and met her on the other side. "You are cute, but that's just honesty."

"For a minute I really thought you were going for it there."

"Well if you are ever desperate for a story or a quote, you can have this. Yeah, I think I could completely wind up with another woman. People are attracted to other people and that isn't always exclusive to gender." Scarlett shrugged and then walked into the café with Dianne on her heels.

"I like that."

"I thought you would." Scarlett had a feeling Dianne wouldn't print it, but she meant it nonetheless. She had never chosen to label herself, what was the point? People gave her the label they wanted to give her regardless of the truth. The truth didn't matter in the eyes of the public. People believed what they wanted to believe and that had never been clearer than it was that day. Pepper Potts hadn't just believed some of the stories, she'd believed all of the stories.

The duo ordered their drinks and sat in the corner of the café. Scarlett waited for Dianne to say something but instead she just watched the businesswoman intently. "You had news for me?" With a sip of her latte, Scarlett prodded the reporter.

"Yes, yes I did."

"About the Hurst family?"

"Yes, you do know them, don't you?"

"Enlighten me." Scarlett did, but she wasn't going to give out any more information than necessary.

"Mr. Hurst and his wife are the owners of a textile company in London."

"And?" Scarlett swirled her latte and spoke curiously.

"And last night they were found dead in their home." Dianne searched Scarlett's face as she delivered the grim news but found nothing of note.

"That's all very sad but what is it supposed to mean to me?"

"You seemed intrigued enough to sit with me so I thought maybe you could answer that." Dianne folded her arms over her chest.

"I only know them from business. I dealt with their company on an old job but it was literally just paperwork. Never went there." Scarlett smiled. "I'm sorry to disappoint."

"Hold on." Dianne wasn't giving up quite so easily. She reached for her purse, pulled out her wallet, keys, a small child's toy, and then finally an envelope. "I did some digging and was able to find a photograph that was recovered from a security system on premises. It seems that the rest of the footage recovered by the police was corrupted."

"Oh, snooping. Very good." Scarlett held out her hand for the picture and Dianne reluctantly handed it over.

"He's the prime suspect in the case."

"Ah, him I know." Scarlett pointed to the picture and then turned it back toward Dianne. "His name is Erick Reno." Scarlett had recognized him immediately. When she'd still been considering working for MedCo before her entire life unraveled, she'd met with the heads of the company. He was one of them. Erick Reno, the man with the glasses. Scarlett's mind was racing a thousand miles a minute but she did her best to remain cool and calm for the reporter.

Dianne had gotten too close to the truth one too many times and she wasn't going to have her in the line of fire. She had a husband and kids to worry about, who she loved very much judging by the state of her purse. Scarlett handed the picture back to Dianne who took it and looked it over.

How the hell had MedCo figured it out? Scarlett had never even told Scott about this part of her life and yet there it was catching up to her. Her stomach was churning and her heart was racing. Had she mentioned those names in the past? Even drunk had she said something? Scarlett racked her brain to try and remember, but there were too many years to comb through.

There was no way she'd told anyone.

No way.

"How do you know him?" Dianne looked up from the photo.

"Ah, he offered me a job a long time ago. Real dick. Works with a bunch of other real dicks too. I knew it was fishy and turned him down." Scarlett lied through her teeth. It was too dangerous to tell this woman the truth. "Look, if you want a story you should research him but keep your distance. Guys like this are trouble, way beyond your pay grade. Your newspaper is not worth getting into it with this guy.

"Alright." Dianne hesitated and put the photograph back into her purse. She sat with her coffee but didn't drink it. Scarlett took another sip of her latte.

"Is that it? Should I call you a cab?"

"I know your secret, Miss Damien." Dianne leaned across the table and whispered.

"Oh, really? What secret is that?" Scarlett chuckled over her latte.

"You're uh…" Dianne looked behind her and then out the window before whispering. "You're being hunted." Scarlett stared at her with amusement behind her eyes. It was a shame this woman was so damn smart. She was going to get into trouble.

"And you're reaching." Scarlett laughed it off, leaning back in her chair. "Look, you're getting into things you don't understand. You're drawing all these conclusions without facts and it's going to get you into trouble. You should go home to your husband and your kids."

"This is more than a story now, Miss Damien." Dianne looked sympathetic. Maybe she wasn't looking for a story but it didn't matter. Scarlett didn't need anyone else involved and she wasn't going to let this woman, this good, talented, woman get in over her head because she was too curious.

"You're right. It is more than a story. It's my life." Scarlett finally set down her coffee and looked to the reporter seriously. "It's my life. This thing all of you report on and make up stories for? All these assumptions you make, conclusions you draw, rumors you spread, it's my life. It becomes my life even if none of it is true. I know the public has a right to parts of my life but not to the extent you all make it out to be. What it comes down to is that it's my life and none of your business."

"I just want to help you."

"No one asked you to." Scarlett tapped her fingers on the table. "You people think you own every part of me. No one does. Not you, not the media, not the public, not anyone I work with." Scarlett stood up from the table and cleared her throat. "Mrs. Hendricks, you are a very good reporter and someday you're going to make a difference in the world of journalism. Following me is not the way to do it. I am a businesswoman looking to simply share her ideas with the world. It's all I'm doing. Who I'm dating, what secrets I'm keeping, bar fights I've been in? People I used to know? None of it matters."

"What about secret illnesses? You've been seeing a doctor at S.H.I.E.L.D. I know that for sure."

"Yes, you know why?" Scarlett tapped her side. "Old wound got infected. I mentioned it while I was there on business and one of the doctors offered me an experimental treatment to help get rid of the pain and scarring." Dianne mentally deflated and looked apologetic.

"I just want to help."

"Then back off." Scarlett picked up her cup and threw it in the garbage. "I like you, Mrs. Hendricks. I'm happy to give you a story when there is one. But this isn't a story."

"It's your life." Dianne felt her stomach sink. Not because she thought that she'd chased the wrong lead, but because she was almost sure that she hadn't. Scarlett was hiding something and it was something more than she had thought.

"Go home. Here." Scarlett pulled some cash out of her pocket and placed it on the table in front of her. "Take a cab back to your hotel. On me. Then go take a vacation or something, you work too hard."

"What about you?"

"I have to go pick up the keys to the place I'm renting for my stay in Malibu." Scarlett flipped the keys to her rental car around her finger with a smile. "Mrs. Hendricks?"

"Yes?"

"Think about what I said."

"I will."

"Thanks for the heads up about the Hurst Family." Scarlett waved before heading out of the coffee shop. Her mind was racing as she got into the car and drove away. Quickly she put the address for the leasing office she'd need to stop off at to pick up her keys.

Once she was on the road, far away from where Dianne could even read her lips, Scarlett put her bluetooth headset on and dialed on her phone.

"Scarlett? What's wrong?" Natasha picked up after the first ring as she always did these days. She half expected to be scolded since she'd only told Natasha that she'd made a deal with Stark Industries after it had already been made and she was on a plane. But no, Natasha was worried, as she always was these days.

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"You know I'm irritated with you and you're still calling me…" Natasha drifted off. "You called me, don't act like this is an interrogation."

"It wouldn't be an interrogation if it didn't feel like it all the time…"

"Scarlett, I swear…"

"What, are you going to put me over your knee or something?"

"What's wrong? You're only this sarcastic when something's wrong."

"Uh… I don't want to say." Scarlett grumbled as she drove, following the route that the GPS had set out for her. It wasn't too long a drive, but it was enough to clear her mind. She could already see the shore from the highway. It was beautiful.

"Is it embarrassing or something? Do you get embarrassed?"

"My, umm… my parents are dead." Scarlett winced. She hadn't used those words in a long time.

"What?"

"Don't make me say it again."

"How the hell did that happen?" Natasha was gesturing behind her, looking for someone to talk to her on the line. "You're on speakerphone."

"That's reassuring. Hi S.H.I.E.L.D., how's it hanging?" She joked nervously.

"Your parents are dead?"

"I did say that."

"I didn't know you had parents." She could hear Mickey's voice on the other end of the line.

"Oh, party call. You see, Agent Pierce, everyone has parents. When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much they get together and have a baby. Or sometimes when they resent each other and want to bring a little girl into the world to belittle and keep under their thumb, they do that too." Scarlett cleared her throat.

"You never mention them. I just assumed they died long ago." Natasha sounded stressed. Scarlett could hear her talking away from the phone to someone else, presumably S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.

"I ran away pretty young. I changed my name, removed all ties. I mean, I even went as far as to delete birth records." Scarlett pulled into the parking lot of the leasing office and parked her car. Then she leaned back in the driver's seat and closed her eyes. "How the hell did they find my parents?"

"It had to be Scott, right? He had to know."

"I never told him." Scarlett shook her head. "I made a pact with myself when I got into this that nothing from before that first job existed anymore. He thought I was orphaned. God…"

"You're sure it was MedCo? Not just a coincidence?" Natasha muttered.

"Look, I'll send you the information on my phone when I'm not in the car." Scarlett inhaled deeply and then pinched the bridge of her nose. "Glasses was there. He looked odd. Picture's blurry from what I saw but you guys might have better resources."

"Might? I can guarantee it." Mickey spoke.

"Just… find out how they knew." Scarlett sighed and placed her hand over her forehead. What a day. First she had a showdown with Miss Pepper Potts and then she'd been accosted by a reporter only to find her parents had died. She smacked the steering wheel in frustration.

"Are you okay?" Natasha picked the phone back up. Scarlett could hear the rest of the room fade away. She was no longer on speakerphone.

"I'm fine."

"Scarlett, your parents are dead. Are you okay?" Natasha repeated.

"I'm really fine. I'm surprised, that's all. My parents were not winning any awards or anything. They never even reported me missing when I ran away to attend Cambridge." Scarlett spoke almost bitterly. There was a story there, a long one, but Scarlett wasn't one to dwell in the past. Oddly it struck a nerve. Scarlett wasn't actually sure she was okay even if she seemed to think she was. Her parents were dead. She'd never dreamt of a reunion and she'd known they were getting old.

So why did it bother her? None of it made sense. It had to be the medicine Jemma had given her. There was no way she actually felt bad that her parents had died. Then again, they'd still be alive and making each other miserable if she hadn't gotten into trouble. It was more blood on her hands.

"Should I come out there?"

"Please don't." Scarlett muttered but she knew Natasha would eventually anyway. She was too busy babysitting her to keep her from her privacy. "Okay, so we need to make a bigger list if this is how it's going to be."

"What else are you hiding?"

"Hunt down my college professors. There was a girl I roomed with for a time, we should get her to safety too. They'd be none the wiser but if they can hunt down my parents then they can hunt them down too. God, what a low blow."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Natasha's concern was thick in her voice.

"Did you have a stroke? I said I'm fine."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I only called because I think we have to move. We can't let them kill everyone I've ever known. That's insane. People shouldn't be punished because they went to class with me or because I helped them study. You want to help me and make me feel better? Save some people, will you?"

"Alright. Send me what you remember."

"Will do." Scarlett hung up before Natasha could ask her again if she was okay. "Oh god, what am I doing?" The pit in her stomach widened and she thought about Tony. If they were going after people from her past how long would it take before they went after people from her present? S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents were already targets, Scarlett knew that but they'd accepted the risk when they'd gotten involved with her. What about Nathan?

What about Tony?

God, hadn't he been through enough? Was she making a mistake coming to Malibu and working with him? He was going to be in danger whether or not he knew it. Maybe she should tell him.

No, that would be stupid. Telling him would only share the burden with him. Tony Stark didn't seem like the type to back down from a fight. The only problem was that it wasn't his fight. Coffee repeated on her and Scarlett coughed and gagged the sensation away. Inside the car suddenly felt terrible. Had she turned off the air conditioner on accident? She was sweating something fierce.

Slowly she got out of the car and leaned against it. It was stifling in there but the air outside didn't seem much better. She couldn't breathe. Each inhale made the tightening in her chest worsen. Carefully she walked around the side of the building to take deep breaths. Even the smell of the asphalt was bothering her stomach. Now it was the smell of the dirt. Her head began to pound right behind her eyes.

Her legs felt weak so she leaned heavily against the wall.

Nausea washed over her, making her feel warm and clammy. She closed her eyes and listened instead to the sound of the cars on the highway nearby mixed with the ocean in the distance. It wasn't even a little soothing. In fact, the sound only seemed to become louder and more bothersome. Every passing car seemed to inflict pain. Yet Scarlett's thoughts wouldn't stop racing, even if the world spun still behind her eye lids.

Tony deserved to know the whole truth.

However Scarlett didn't want him tangled up in her web of deceit either. It was a big mess. It wasn't like she hadn't tried to keep him at a distance. He was a very persistent man.

If she tried, could she push him away at this point? What if she did her work poorly and played dumb? That could make Tony lose interest, couldn’t it?

There was a big selfish part of Scarlett that knew she couldn't do that. She enjoyed talking to him, she wanted to be his friend. He deserved a friend who could understand him the way she did. Or maybe that was selfish too. She wanted someone to need her, perhaps. Immediately she banished the notion.

Then her stomach ached and she grabbed it and hunched over, leaning against the building. Her hands were going numb, she could barely feel her fingertips. That coffee was really repeating on her. Soon it was coming back up and Scarlett couldn't stop it. If it hadn't been for the wall, Scarlett would have wound up on the ground, puking. Thankfully she'd managed to barely hold herself up. Retching hurt her throat. She couldn’t feel her hands anymore.

What was it that Jemma Simmons had warned her of? Scarlett couldn’t remember now but she had a feeling that it wasn't the coffee's fault that she'd gotten so sick. Her fingers had been going numb all morning. She'd tried to tell herself it was from the travel but she knew deep down it wasn't. Cursing, she hit the wall and then leaned against it to catch her breath. Her knees threatened to give out and she'd regretted wearing heels. It was much harder to keep her balance with them on.

The cling in her chest wasn't as bad as it had once been, so there was that. Maybe it was just a panic attack. The heat behind her eyes that had grown steadily worse since she'd woken up assured her it was actually a fever.

"Fuck." Scarlett ran her fingers through her hair and then straightened up her back. She would have to get it together. Between finding out her parents were dead and suddenly being afraid for Tony's safety, Scarlett was a mess.

It was good she wasn't in a lab at Stark Industries. Scarlett wasn't sure she would have kept it together long enough to retain her composure around anyone else. She'd lasted just long enough to get away from people. Scarlett walked to the front of the building and stared at the car she rented. Why was she there again?

That was right. She had rented a place by the beach for the duration of her stay in Malibu. Tony had offered up his home but she had immediately rejected the notion. After meeting Pepper, Scarlett was glad she'd turned down the offer. The last thing she needed was more stress, her body was riddled with it enough already. No, what she needed now was a walk on the beach and maybe a drink.

At the very least, she needed something to wash the taste of vomit from her mouth.