Ugh I apologize this is so late. Sometimes I get super into this story, and other times...not so much. I have another story, called When You Find These in the Agents of SHIELD archive that has been occupying most of my fanfictionous time. If you happen to be into that TV show(and maybe don't COMPLETELY hate Ward), checking it out would make my life :) I'm glad you guys seem to like this story though!

Disclaimer: I would have already seen AOU if I owned this.

Pepper was kind of overwhelmed. She knew that the pool would be fine without her, and that Maria was more than qualified to oversee everything and keep everyone in line. She felt sick though. When Clint asked her what happened, she panicked for a second. Did Tony want her to say anything?

The split second decision Pepper made revealed nothing and changed the subject while taking some of the weight off of her. "Where have you been?" She was leaning up against the vacuum.

"I was out visiting my parents for the weekend," he told her. "They're always pissed that I don't stay with them in the summer." Clint took off his jacket and set it on a nearby countertop. He lugged a suit case behind him.

Pepper mentally faced-palmed. "Oh I remember. That's why you couldn't work yesterday, right?"

He nodded and there was an awkward pause. Pepper was supposed to know where he was because he requested the weekend off. "That means Steve is at his family reunion."

"Yeah last I talked to him he was almost home." Clint sighed. "Here. I'll go put my stuff down and then I'll come help you move the furniture back."

"Sounds like a plan." Pepper watched Clint leave before she reassessed the room. There were three chairs and a sofa. The chairs were tipped over on their sides. The sofa was on its back, and all of the cushions were on the floor.

Pepper decided to attack the chairs first. She got the chair that was on its back onto two legs. The next two were heavier, so she elected to leave them. The couch, however, looked manageable. The back of it was on the ground, and the part that is usually sat on was in the air. If Pepper was lucky, she could throw her weight against it and maybe it would tip back into place.

Here goes nothing, Pepper thought. She threw her body against the chair bottom and it tipped the chair, leaving Pepper sprawled out over the floor.

Clint chose that moment to make his re-entrance.

"I won't ask," he assured her. Clint held out his hand and helped Pepper off the floor. Together, they picked up the last two chairs and moved everything back into place.

"I'm home," someone called from the kitchen.

"Oh thank God," Clint mumbled.

Steve walked into the living room. "Hey Clint, hi Pepper. What exactly are you doing here?"

Just as Pepper started to speak, a dark-looking Tony entered. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt. His hair was still wet from his shower. "I invited her."

Tony sat down on the couch and Pepper sat down beside him. He scooted closer to her and leaned his head against her shoulder.

"Did I, uh, did I miss something?" Steve asked. Clint shrugged.

Pepper ignored them. "Are you going to tell them?"

"Yeah." Tony's mood darkened. "Can you stay down the hall, or something? This is going to get messy in a couple of weeks and I want you here." Steve and Clint exchanged looks. "You can go get stuff from your house if you want."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Okay, I'll be back in a half an hour, alright?"

"Yep," he let her stand up and exit through the kitchen. Pepper grabbed her coat and her keys. The talk would be done in less than a half an hour. She needed to be back soon in case Tony broke down again. Pepper hadn't expected this. She never thought that if Tony needed help that he would come to her. Of course, she didn't have time to think about why Tony would need her help. This was because her mind couldn't think about anything but getting home and grabbing her stuff as soon as possible.

Before she knew it, Pepper was running into her apartment. She grabbed the stuff she actually used from her bathroom, shoved it into a bag, and then shoved that into her pillow case. Then, she brought out her suitcase and began to throw handfuls of clothing inside of it. Finally ready, Pepper zipped her pillow into her suit case and slung it over her shoulder. She got outside to her car and threw the package into the passenger seat.

Breathless, Pepper found herself back at Tony's. She ran upstairs to the kitchen. Leaning on top of the counter was a concerned Steve and leaning against the stainless steel fridge was Clint.

"How is he?" she asked, dropping her bags on the tile floor.

"Angry. Upset. Sad," Clint told her.

Pepper sighed. Tony wouldn't be himself for a while. These problems didn't solve themselves overnight, especially if you were a Stark.

Millions if not billions were in the Stark's bank accounts. The will of Howard Stark was probably a) written in gold and b) a written reminder that everything they owned went straight to Tony. That meant that bank accounts, properties, businesses were all Tony's. The Starks owned more than a country club, and it was going to take hundreds of hours to sift through all of the paperwork.

"Where'd he go?" Pepper asked. She picked up her bag and brought it between the living room and the kitchen.

"He went down to his lab," Clint answered.

"This house has a lab?"

"This house has a lot of things you don't know about."

"Do you know where I'm staying?"

Clint set his glass on the countertop. "Yeah, I'll show you."

The pair left and Pepper gave a glance towards Steve. He hadn't even budged during the correspondence. What was his deal? Was he okay? She brushed away her thoughts and followed Clint towards the guest rooms. He led her through the hallway to the wall with the code on it. Clint pressed his hand on the wall.

"Welcome back Mr. Barton," the voice chimed.

"What about the guest rooms?" Pepper asked as the wall slid open. She gripped her suitcase and hoisted it higher as she peered up the stairs.

"You're more like family anyways." Pepper was silent. "Here, let me help." Clint grabbed Pepper's bag and began to carry it up the stairs. "A couple of months ago, Tony programmed your hand into the house's AI. So, you can get wherever."

They walked in silence down the hallway to where Tony's bedroom was. Pepper had never been inside, but given the look Clint made when they walked past, she could tell it was a pigsty.

"This is where he wants you, I guess. If you need anything, I'm down the hall and up the wall stairs."

Pepper raised her eyebrows. "Wall stairs?"

"I'll show you later," he promised, already walking down the hall. "Oh and Pepper?"

Pepper looked up. "Yeah?"

"Do you think you'll every invite Natasha over?" he asked.

Pepper smiled. "Of course, Clint." She looked down at her bag and proceeded to press her hand up against the wall panel. The door clicked open.

The room was huge. It was painted a light brown color, with windows practically lining the far wall. There was a queen sized bed against the left wall, and a desk placed in front of the windows. It looked like a bed room-slash-oval office combination, being awkward but regal. The bathroom was to the left of the entrance. It too had a size to match the rest of the room.

Unsure of what to do, Pepper dropped her bag down beside the closet and fell down on the bed. Looking up at the ceiling helped her to clear her mind and calm down.

In less than an hour Pepper had practically rearranged the Stark's living room, and then moved in. She literally left Maria in charge in the middle of a hot July day with practically no explanation of her leave. It was going to be a long day.

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Thanks for reading! Have a great week! xxx