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Misguided Ghosts

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Chapter 1

"—good morning to everyone and everybody who's watching us from the east coast. Today's early news are strangely enough about Stark Industries once again." The image behind the bubbly blonde pounced into zoom as it displayed a muted video. The reporter smiled sweetly.

"As you can see the man behind the suit of power finally showcased himself to the glorious light of news yesterday's morning at the conference that took place at the Press Seminar Room at the Stark Industries HQ of New York. Place where the white soul of the Man of Iron shone again as we heard about the mentioned previously fallen Hammer Industries, the implicates of the attack on the Stark Expo and the issue of the new sidekick the Invincible Iron Man's considering to have. "

The reporter, without blinking, rifled between several cards she had at hand. "Amazedly enough they weren't any exciting news at all, aside, of course, of the quite precarious decision of the executive board of SI to preserve with their current and late-newly acquired CEO, the famous Pepper Potts."

The woman's cool smile flipped a little as a smirk trespassed her features. The video fast-forwarded. "The sweet Miss Potts may found her new toy in risk if she doesn't act fast. Tony Stark isn't able to be quiet for very much time after all. Well, fellas, as we all may know the unique reputation of Mr. Stark and seeing as Miss Potts description of outstanding and perfectly-detailed abilities we can only conclude—"

"Oh god." Pepper leaned against her magony desk. "Mute." She instructed in what was extreme displeasure. The TV complied swiftly the command. In annoyance she saw how the woman kept chitchatting and jabbering jovially, in a flippant move with the control remote she turned it off without a second thought.

One second; she grasped one second from her neckline scheduled time to inhale real amounts of air. Her chest heaved the breath out in a spur of dizziness. Vertigo, it felt more like it. That was one of the reasons why she decided to allow herself to sit down and really, allow herself to think.

Suddenly, she hopped on her place, her heart racing. A quick apology made her flew open her eyes. Her hand was, curiously enough, covering her heart, trying to placate it.

Happy stopped short. His hands gesturing wildly "—I'm so sorry, Pepper. I didn't know you were . . . I apologize, really, I just, I should have knocked—"

Pepper raised from her seat, she stepped and spoke quickly to reassure him. "I'm alright, Happy. It's okay." She smiled in what she expected was a convincing matter, it came more as a grimace. "I mean, you did help me hurled me out of my head. But no harm done" Her hands were lifted, she twisted them. "See, no. harm. done. I'm okay."

Happy didn't speak, he simply shook his head. "I'm still sorry though, I didn't meant to scare you off."

"You didn't—"

"What were you thinking of?"

Pepper closed her mouth amid her next sentence. "Pardon me?"

Happy sighed. Instead of replying to her directly as he usually does, he moved forward, taking a seat on the dark-brown canapé that found his place on her office among her taste.

When he spoke the words were calm and quiet. A distant contrast to the words of the cheery and dreadful gossip reporter she was listening to. She was still trying to figure out how she ended watching that when her main goal was searching for the weather channel.

Outside her window, when she was staring, she found herself staring to the bodies of clouds that wheeze freely on the far horizon, they seemed to her dull and duller. Maybe, for a second she expected them to bright and shone with the sun behind them. But they were empty and soulless. No radiance to gleam with them.

Was it wrong she found her simile?

A voice brought her back.

"Common Pepper, we are friends, aren't we? I know, really, I do. I know you're now my boss and I highly respect that but . . . can you please not leave me out? I meant to tell you this because I've seen you during all this last week." Happy paused deliberately, searching for her eyes. He blurted out hurriedly. "Is something wrong? Is it your mother? Are you sick? Please tell me you're not sick."

Pepper smiled sadly. Even if it seemed impossible, Happy looked even more concerned.

"Pep?"

Almost, Pepper did almost flinch with the name. She waved a dismissive hand at Happy. "Listen, Happy, don't worry. Answering your questions my mother's perfectly fine as so my health and, well, it's . . ." She trailed off, a second passed and she mumbled. "No, not everything's alright." She finished quietly enough that Happy had to lean forward to hear her out.

"Why?" He questioned lightly, fidgeting with his cuffs, he was nervous she noted. She knew he knew the question was a little bit ironic since everything that had occurred in the last few weeks, months, hadn't been a laughing matter, more like morbid tragedy of an old Greek play were everyone ended up dead anyway; despite bloody fights, inaccurately longings and heartrending ends.

Alas, the reasons of her current mood can be easily excused by rather anything at all. The abrupt end of the Stark Expo, though, she couldn't be more thankful for that, at the end it felt more like a last death wish, which was exactly what it was for Tony.

Pepper closed her eyes for a second, just to rest, a second, of it, the idea of death itself. Of losing what was already lost. Happy is here, she reminded herself, later.

The downward of Hammer Industries after Justin Hammer complotted with the revenge-thirst socio-maniac Russian. The interference of SHIELD in their lives once again. She had to retell herself every time that it wasn't because of her nor the company that they came to bang in—thus the reason why they need to attach like a file people to keep an eye on them.

Also, she wasn't the one that stressed the living hell out of them.

Pepper knew Tony must have liked the red-head for a reason. That cause a mental shrug from her. Did she care? Definitely no. After what happen last week, she appeared to be caring for nothing anymore.

Did she regret? Definitely, yes.

They did saw each other the next day after the night of the roof.

Worst things always happen.

The next day, between the late hours of dawn, after some SHIELD agents, that unfortunately enough weren't the comforting face of Phil Coulson, debrief her on the ensued events of the arrest of Justin Hammer and else, they escort her where he was.

Sometimes, not saying his name, even in her head, helped for a degree. The immeasurable degree that gave her sanity most of the time. One of the reason she'd have survived all of his exuberance from his past self.

"Miss Potts?" Pepper craned her neck to smile politely at the blank-faced SHIELD agent she was assigned to deliver her to the exit. "Do you need anything else?" There was a jet that would take her from the safe house or whatever place she was to the average civilization again.

Pepper shook her head in denial. The agent nodded off and left.

Then, there was his voice.

"Hey."

Her first reaction was to stay right on her place, maybe taking her phone out and pretend to be busy. With a silent curse she recalled the agent told her to turn it off until she was off radar. Well, then she wouldn't turn.

"Hey," Pepper replied back. Because there was simply nothing else to say. "What are you doing here?" She bit the inside of her cheek in mild annoyance. What kind of question was that?

Since he noted she didn't turn Tony strolled to be next to her. Albeit a meter of distance. The perfect respect of personal space. All this years and now he obeyed her instructions.

Irony, was it called, right?

Tony shrugged and grinned slightly at her. A shadow of his real smile, she knew. "Well, I was about to ask you that. But, I guess we were kind of here for the same thing."

"Debriefing. So boring" They said simultaneously.

Pepper couldn't resist the mess he did of her emotions. She laughed freely and for a moment, a single flashing instant, he did it too.

They arrived to the jet.

With a smile on her face they arrived to the entrance. For a stupid, hopeful second she thought, imagine her naivety, maybe there was a mistake. Maybe, she could made him feel as happy as he did to her. Amid this buoyant idea, she turned to him, only for her smile to slide. She hoped nobody was noting her enough to notice the sudden change.

Tony wasn't looking at her anymore. Crystal clear while he walked by her side he was gazing at the red-head spy and any other person than her. The spy didn't look at him back. But his action said more than enough. She wondered if he even knew why they were laughing about. Maybe, he was at laughing at her only.

Pepper lifted proudly her chin, her gaze unwavering from the front. Their pilot waved a signal at them, lowering the back, and allowing them to enter. She sat down, following the instructions and buttoning her seatbelt tightly enough.

"So, the press conference. What time should I be there?" Tony asked when he found his position across from her.

"Are you coming?" Maybe her words sounded harsher than they should.

"Yeah," He had his eyes down, multiple screen colliding in his phone screen, as usual, rules didn't apply to the one and only Tony Stark. "Sure, why not? Those reporters would probably eat whatever you tell them, I'm sure. But, anyway, I'll watch out for any cracked pal that may want to cause trouble." His eyes met hers, this was probably the longer they had seen each other since that lone—yes, that night. His eyes were neutral, like it would be no difference between speaking to her or the next pretty face that took her place.

Maybe that's what guide her to say everything she said.

Pepper looked him keen in the eye.

"You can do whatever you want. It's fine with me."

Pepper didn't know if it was the abrupt shuddered the ship gave. But Tony stopped his motion with the phone, his head lifted and he blinked at her. "What?"

Pepper lifted one shoulder in apathy at his hurt expression. Was he hurt? He was probably hiding a smile somewhere. To be finally free of her constant unnecessary worry. She glanced to the front of the ship, it was empty, and apart from the pilot they were the only ones in there.

"You heard me clearly, Tony." Pepper said tersely. She casted a look at him.

"I, yes, I just . . . why, what do you mean with that?" Tony stammered lightly, his voice sounded normal, his face was mildly hiding some sort of expression, his eyes blamed him though, they remained confused.

Patience lasted enough for a decade. Without holding back she told him the truth.

"Why should I even care for what you do? You're a grown man, have been since some time now, and I damn well know you don't really want my breath any longer on your neck. So, let's make a deal. You get over with your life, exploding whomever and whatever you want, doing whatever and whomever you want. Just try to get Miss Sooner to do her own laundry, please." Pepper opened her eyes—when did she closed them?—and decided if she was going to end a eleven years friendship the last thing she could do is look him in the eye while doing it. She took a deep breath. "I really, really don't care for what you do anymore, alright? My only work now is to watch out for Stark Industries. I'll watch that your company doesn't blow up to the stratosphere along with you, at the very least, for respect I'll be the best CEO I can be, alright?"

Pepper blinked rapidly. The words did hurt to her. Something prickled on her eyes. But she refused to show him that. Truth be told, she had enough of games, enough of his smiling face, teasing grin, beautiful eyes, enough from his new-found purpose, of how proud that made her feel, of how worried it made her feel, of how she wanted to rip that helmet sometimes and kissed him until he forgot why he had ever had the need to see anyone else.

She had enough from everything she couldn't have, not even dream to have.

If there was something, at least a tiny speck that said that he felt something because of her words of anger he didn't show it anymore. The small crack she saw earlier was gone. Although, he seemed unable to hide the obvious slump of his shoulders, the rapid movements of his eyes—as if he couldn't bear to see her right now.

He didn't answer right away. Pepper simply turned her eyes to one of the windows for the rest of the flight.

Somewhat between an hour and so she heard a body moving. She turned, even do she knew perfectly well who it was, she wanted to hear what he had to say. Would he pay her back the words with unforgiving words? Her palms were sweating. She didn't think she'll resist words from him.

"Will that make you happy?"

"What?"

The words were so quiet she barely heard them.

Tony didn't look up from his phone screen. He was seeing news, she noted.

"I said, will that made you happy? Really happy?" Tony questioned softly. His thumb hovered ghostly over the LED screens, moving them senselessly.

Pepper shook her head. "Happiness is overrated." She replied equally quiet, her voice flat.

Tony nodded, taking that as his response.

When they arrived home, Tony barely nodded back in acknowledgement before he was gone in his Audi, wheels screeching.

"Pepper? Pepper?"

Pepper blinked quickly to a very concerned Happy in front of her.

"Hey, should I bring you coffee?" Happy had his hand on her shoulder, until now she felt how he was shaking her gently.

"Happy," Pepper stood upright. "Uh, I'm sorry did you said something?" She rubbed tiredly her eyes. Now, she was tired.

Pepper peered behind his shoulder to the the white clock she hang there, time was ticking as ten minutes to six o'clock. Suddenly, a sigh escaped her lips, Happy—who was in front of her already—lifted his head instantly and was possibly even more alert than before.

However, she couldn't blame him. As his usual Happy self, he wasn't complaining for the extra hours she was here, or for the massive row of papers that seemed to have plagued every inch of her office or the fact where she sort of spaced out of the blue.

Suddenly, she remembered the last question Happy made her. Why? Why isn't everything alright?

I dream.

I want.

I lost.

Have I ever had?

I hurt.

"That's . . . a story for other day." Pepper replied after a long, extremely long pause. She stood up and stretch her arms, making circles with her hands.

Happy reach for her shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "I think I should take you home, shouldn't I? Because I'll definitely take you home, orders or not. Can't have the boss falling on my watch." Happy stepped back and gestured for the door. "So ma'am."

"If you call me ma'am again I'll probably start calling you sir." Pepper jested on her way to her desk. She opened briskly her suitcase and began placing some contracts that needed to be signed. Her house would be more reassuring than a cold office.

"Jeez." Joked Happy. "Imagine that, me, a sir. It'll nailed me, wouldn't it?"

This was probably what she needed, a friend making her smile.

For how long will that smile last?

They exited her office, Happy pulling close the door behind him. At this time, the whole staff was far gone. Whilst they entered the elevator she was thinking how she'll have to give Happy some day off and cards for a game or something to thank him for all his help. He was sweet without an ulterior motive. That made her smile as they descended on the elevator toward the parking lot.

"Do I really make you smile when I'm not talking like a parrot?" Happy said with his own smile, she remarked some kind of sigh that came from him when she laughed. Assurance? Relief? Was she that obvious at being sad?

The elevator doors ding open. Happy gestured and she began walking first. The limousine was some 50 meters from the door. Her heels did a clicking and clacking sound as they walked down on the cement. They chatted small, drifts of conversation until they arrived at the car.

While Happy was rounding the car from behind, she distinguished something in the back seat. Her eyes squinted to see. A box? Maybe, she received a package. Or was it a suitcase? Without waiting for Happy to open for her she threw opened the door.

The last thing she heard was Happy's yell of her name as the explosion came.

A white-hot flash of light engulfed her.