Casualty #1 – Pepper Potts

Virginia "Pepper" Potts usually handled Tony Stark, Avengers, SHIELD, Stark Industries, corporate rivals, lawyers, politicians, and the media like a pro. She exuded a cool, confident air regardless of the situation. Her very serenity made her the perfect foil for her volatile fiancé, and she knew it. Even better, in her mind, Tony knew it too. Granted, Tony was also the one person who could get under her skin faster than anyone else. It had been months since things got that tense however.

Pepper found out why just two days after Darcy's rather dramatic video.

Five calls…five within the first three hours of the work day.

Tony would be the death of her.

He called to complain about Jane not sharing her toys. Bruce began to get snippy and Betty threw something at him when he wandered into her lab. His last call involved a ten minute discussions about the Thai they had for lunch last week, but nobody knew where it came from because Darcy picked it up after visiting Central Park.

Striding past her assistant, she ordered all of her calls to be held until instructed otherwise. She barely resisted the desire to slam her office door, but she began muttering under her breath the moment it closed behind her.

"JARVIS!"

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

She stopped pacing and leaned on her desk. The fingers of one hand tapped restlessly against the wood as she pondered the day. "How much of that does Darcy usually filter?"

"Miss Lewis spends a great deal of time moving between the laboratories to in order to, in her words, 'negotiate peace accords'. Her computer files include extensive lists of allergies as well as likes and dislikes of each individual within the tower. She updates them regularly." There was a short pause. "I believe she also keeps a calendar on her tablet to ensure there is no repetition of meals over a month's time span unless a specific request is placed."

"A list for everyone?" Pepper blinked in surprise.

"Yes, Miss Potts," JARVIS replied promptly. "Miss Lewis appears quite observant. There have been many times when she was entering such information on her phone in order to remember."

"Let me guess," Pepper closed her eyes for a moment. "All those times someone teased her about computer socializing, she was actually entering information?"

"Not every time, but most, yes."

Now she buried her face in one hand. "Is she on Stark payroll?"

"No, Miss Potts."

"SHIELD?"

"She receives a monthly stipend for her assistance with the Avengers Initiative."

Pepper drew in a breath. "Put her on the payroll, effective immediately with a full benefits package. No waiting period. Encrypt her file at the highest levels and note that everything involving Darcy must go through my office for approval."

"Yes, Miss Potts."

"JARVIS? Next time Tony gives her too much grief, I want to be notified." She slumped into her chair. "And she has to deal with all of them? No wonder she went on strike."