A/N: Just wanted to thank everyone whose reading, following, favorited, and reviewed. It means so much to me!

Kimbee: Yes my friend. Archer Philip is an Avenger, so of course he must be involved in some fights. ;)


Even Dog's Have Their Favorites


"What's wrong baby? Was Tony mean to you?"

Pepper clutches her clipboard into her chest as Archer circles around her frame. His tail was wagging, but his whimpering was starting to worry her. She swings her ponytail over her shoulder, hand reaching down to scratch under his chin;

"What's the matter Archer? Whose a good boy?"

Stark makes a face, toying with a hologram, "Why do you blame me for his problems? Maybe Clint was too rough with him."

She makes a face, "Barton is great with the animal."

Thor smirks from the sidelines, politely interjecting like a student in a classroom, "It appears he is performing the instinct ritual of herding on Lady Potts."

Tony gives him a sarcastic stare, eyebrows lowered and pinched in the middle, "Herding? Seriously?"

Pepper lifts a shoulder, "Don't knock it. He may be onto something, then again aren't retrievers part of the sporting group?"

"Meaning..."

Thor chimes in, "I've researched it. Pardon me for interjecting, but the 'sporting' symbolizes hunting and various field activities. I believe those dogs do well in water and woods."

"Well then, let's release the 'beast of midgard' back into the woods where he can reconnect with his roots!"

Pepper rolls her eyes, taking a step out of Archer's herding circle and over towards the computers. The dog sits back, nose in the air as he howls, crying over his 'mommy's' abandonment. Miss Potts sticks out her bottom lip as she kneels to his level, sitting back on her heels;

"What's the matter baby? Come here Archer."

Tony rolls his eyes, "Now what?"

She sighs, rubbing his face and neck, "He looks sad."

Stark glances over his girlfriend's shoulder, curious and a little concerned, "What do you mean 'sad', he's always happy."

She studies her pet, checking his ears and eyes, "I don't know. He stopped wagging his tail. Anyway, I need you to call Fury back. He said there was an emergency he needs you guys to attend to."

Tony reaches for his phone, "Well for an 'emergency' he's certainly not-"

She snaps over her shoulder, "Just shut up and call him!"

"Okay! Okay! Listen, I've almost finished Archer's little dog tag. Now do you want one 'L' in Philip or two?

Pepper opens her mouth to wrinkle up her face, "One, duh!"

"Don't get excited! Wait until you see what I've created for the little beast."

Thor glances over his shoulder when the phone starts ringing, eyes shifting to see who was responsible for answering the call;

"Forgive me for stating the obvious, but shall I be the one to answer the incoming call?"

Pepper nods, struggling to stand back up on her heels without stepping on Archer, "Do you mind?"

He nods, "I shall be happy to assist. But, how do you respond to the ringing?"

Tony reaches over to answer the phone, "Hello!- Yes Fury, I was just about to call.- No.- Why?- Fine! I'll tell them.- Yeah, whatever.- No.- I meant yes!- Goodbye!"

Potts gives a wide-eyed expression, tugging on her simple gray dress, "Well?"

He glances at Thor, "We've got to run. Fury's picking us up in 15 minutes for an assignment. Can you tell the others to suit up?"

He shifts his glance to Pepper, "It's an emergency. It shouldn't take too long. We'll be back by tomorrow."

She shrugs, "Whatever. At least Archer will keep me company."

Tony snickers, waving his finger as he stands up from his work bench, "Don't get used to it. This dog-collar and tag, is going to give him the ability to attack aliens if he wanted to."

Her eyes widen, "Oh, so the dog can come but not me..."

"Well, I guess you can tag along, but Archer's a part of the team. You're more like, 'team support.'"

She snickers, "Not cool Mr. Stark!"

"Look, if we're going to keep this thing, he might as well have some useful talent."


Pepper stayed at the table, occasionally glancing up at the clock or the telephone in the hopes that Tony would call. She always told him to text her when they reached their destination, especially since she often watched the battle on the news coverage.

This 'business trip' was different for Pepper, amusing herself with Archer to erase those lonely feelings. Still, the mutt didn't feel the same way, tail down as he sniffed around the tower, huddling close to Pepper for a good length of time before venturing off. She puts down her tablet, eyes shifting to the television as the battle is about to start;

"What's wrong Archer?"

He traipse into the hallway, tail low as he caries his ball. She rolls her eyes, wishing he would have stayed in the common room. The CEO makes sure to carry her phone, double and triple checking to ensure that it is on and accessable.

The dog moans, heading straight for Barton's room. She lowers her eyebrows;

"Oh, no honey, Clint's not home."

He huffs out a sigh appearing to understand her. Archer drops his ball outside the door, moaning a second time. She shakes her head;

"No baby,' she opens the door to the empty room,'See? No Clint."

the puppy gives a heavy sigh, sniffing through the hallway and up the stairs to Roger's room, scratching on the door. Pepper shakes her head;

"No, Steve's not home either." She opens the door, just in case he feels a need to look for himself. The retriever takes a step over to Thor's room, barking outside his door. Pepper rolls her eyes;

"No Archer, nobody is home. Just me. They'll be back soon, I promise."

He tilts his head, nose in the air as he heads up the next flight of stairs. The CEO removes her shoes, running barefoot after the animal. He sniffs at Natasha's door, pushing it open for himself. He takes a run around the room, quick to head back out into the hallway.

Pepper is one step behind him, closing Romanov's door to avoid suspicion. The assassin was very picky about keeping her door locked. It must have been some emergency since none of the occupants of Stark Tower made an attempt to lock their doors.

Archer Phillip heads for Banner's room, paw up and scratching at the door. He cries when Pepper's not fast enough at opening the door for him to see;

"I'm sorry buddy, they'll be home soon I promise."

The dog wastes little time in tucking his tail, jumping on the bed to sniff for himself. He cries, ears pulled back as he looks at Pepper. She sighs, parking at the edge of Bruce's bed. When she runs her hands over his head, he moves, crying as he into Banner's pillow.

Pepper tilts her head, running her fingers over his fur, "Oh honey, don't cry."

His high pitched whimpering rings in her ears as she rubs him down, debating on caring the possibly 70 pound dog into her room;

"We can't stay in here Archer. You wanna go to bed? You want to sleep in my room baby?"

She talks like he'll understand, brushing over his body as he cries. Pepper reaches for a bone he previously left on the doctor's bed, but Archer gives her a look, as if to say; 'Put that back!'

She widens her stare, replacing it right where she found it. He lays his head back down, breathing an exasperated sigh. Pepper stands up, clapping her hands as she tries to get him off of the bed;

"Come on Archer! Come on my good boy!"

He just stares at her, refusing to move.

Pepper whistles the way Clint does, snapping her fingers as she takes a step back;

"Come on!"

He lifts his paw over his nose, hiding his face in the bed.

"Archer! Be good. You're not listening. Come."

She sighs when he sighs, throwing her hands over her hips;

"You want a treat? Oooh, I have bacon downstairs!"

He shifts his head away from her, looking far from amused. Potts stands up straighter, debating on leaving him alone for the night. She'd just have to move him before Bruce got home even though he probably wouldn't mind. Pepper takes a step back out into the hallway and down the stairs, maybe he'd follow her eventually.

She parks on the sofa, remote in her hand as she watches the battle. Her eyes are wide and nervous, the way they come close to being smashed in a tumbling building.

It's another two hours before she finally feels tired, curling up into a ball on the edge of the coach. There's a little whimper at her side, paw reaching up to hit her knee.

Pepper covers her face in disbelief when she realizes he's dragged Banner's pillow with him. She gives him a look, "Archer Philip!"

He looks down, ashamed by the tone in her voice. He cries, looking for her approval.

"Baby, I know you miss them but you can't...ugh. Come up here."

He obeys, corner of the pillow in his mouth as he parks beside her. She looks it over, knowing she needs to buy another one before tomorrow night;

"Look, now mommy has to go out shopping tomorrow."

She lays it down next to her so he can nuzzle into it, breathing in the light cologne that now lingers over the coach and Pepper. She really can't blame him for doing something like that when Potts herself has already wrapped her body in one of Tony's jackets...just for comfort sake. It's a habit, just to convince some part of the brain that your loved one is closer then they really are. And she figures he's got a right to feel the same way.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Pepper! Your pooch left a ball in my room." Clint snickers as he tosses it back towards a very different puppy, tail wagging as he runs around the tower.

She smirks, "He ran in every single room while you were gone. Sorry Natasha."

The assassin widens her stare, "You mean he missed me?"

She nods, "He loves you guys."

Bruce chuckles when the dog attacks him, tail wagging twice as fast when he kneels to his level.

Thor smirks;

"I did indeed miss the beast of midgard. It is quite dull without their species."

Pepper jumps when Tony yells from his room, beyond angry;

"Pepper! Your dog left a 'present' in my side of the room and I am NOT cleaning that up!"