a/n: I'm baaack :P Sorry it took forever, but I had a really crappy end of october/start of november. Also, I've been trying to get this chapter uploaded for like, three days, but everytime I do, I get SO CLOSE, and then my internet crashes, or my computer runs out of batteries, or fanfiction decides to just stop for like, three hours. UGH. But my fellow mindgeeks and lewnatics, the day is always once again saved by Shawna and Tessa actually making videos. Their making more regular videos now that they moved into their apartment in canada, and they got a PO BOX! SOO EXCITED TO SEND THEM THINGGS! xDD sorry! Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing, don't forget to follow, and I leave you with this, don't look out the window!

Chapter 10:

So, It's been a few weeks now. I've kinda gotten back into my "not a socially acceptable human being" rhythm again. I slouch downstairs on the couch watching another "Say Yes to the Dress" rerun in my sweatpants and sweatshirt, unknown that it's about three o'clock in the afternoon.

The door opens, and Pepper walks in, carrying some shopping bags. "Scarlette!" She shouts, dropping the bags and running over to me. She grabs the TV remote and turns it off.

"Get up." She said to me.

"What?" I said looking at her confused.

"Get. Up. I promised Maria I wouldn't let you slip back into nothingness. Get up, go clean yourself up, and then come back down." She said grabbing my hand and pulling me upwards.

"Fine, fine, I'm going." I said holding my hands up submissively.

I took a shower, got cleaned up, and put some actual clothes on. I walked downstairs for dinner, Pepper wanted to take me to one of her favorite resteraunts.

When I get to the bottom of the stairs, I notice that while I'm wearing a simple red plaid flannel shirt, dark jeans, and cowboy boots, Pepper's wearing a sleek black dress, and red pumps.

"It's a formal restraunt?" I ask shamefully

"I'm sorry, my bad, I probably should've specified that!" She said looking to the ground. "We've got enough time for you to change!"

"But I don't have anything... nice"

"You can borrow something of mine! It's fine, but we've gotta hurry!" she said, rushing me up the stairs.

And now I'm standing in a crowded, dimly lit room listening to classical music, wearing one of the most uncomfortable things ever. It's not necisarily the clothing itself being uncomfortable, but i was never one to be comfortable in my own skin. I was wearing a sleeveless, white, button-down, ruffly shirt thing tucked into a short, hip-hugging, black skirt that stopped mid thigh. Unfortunately, Pepper and I weren't the same shoe size, so I was wearing my work shoes, the sleek black heels that give me blisters. Fortunately, they were spy shoes, so If i needed to stab someone without leaving a puncture point, rappel down from the building's balcony, or record anything suspicious, I was wearing the right shoes for the job.

We sat down at a table and ordered off of a menu that certainly wasn't in English, and then I realized something.

"That Clint Barton is a dirty rat!" I exclaimed, slamming my menu down on the table.

"Excuse me?" Pepper said, almost choking on her wine.

"He's such a... idiot! I'm such an idiot!" I said rubbing my forehead. "I can't believe I couldn't remember one of my favorite things about our academy curriculum!"

"What's that?"

"Language. I learned over 11 languages in the course of my training. And so did Clint." I was furious. That dirty rat had been playing me this whole time.

"How does that make Clint a dirty rat?"

"He tricked me into telling him something in Japanese. I said something that I wanted to tell him, but didn't want him to know. I thought he wouldn't know what I said, but I remember now, that he did."

"I'm... sorry? I guess? I mean... I've never had to comfort someone for telling someone something in a language they weren't supposed to understand, but did" Pepper tried.

"Tony's arc reactor. You can communicate with him, wherever he is, right?" I said, right as our waiter came. Pepper ordered first, then I.

"Well yeah, but I'm not sure if it works, out of, you know, the milky way" She said lowering her voice at the milky way part.

"It's worth a shot." I said winking and taking a sip of my wine. "Clint's going to regret messing with this girl, because for once, this girl, knows how to fight back."