Chapter 12
AN: Here is the next installment. Hope you all enjoy. Happy 4th of July! Please review and give me a good holiday
"Where is he Happy?" Pepper stormed into the mansion, slamming the door behind her violently, her voice sharp and dangerous.
"Where he always is, the workshop. Why?" I question hesitantly, not sure I really want to hear the answer. Tony had done something, something very bad.
You would think this man would learn his lesson. Much like a sleeping bear, you don't poke an already riled Pepper. Following the stunt at the hearing, Pepper had given him a blistering set down about behavior and pissing off the government for no reason. And as was his way, he could have cared less, which infuriated Pepper even more.
Things since then had been strained between them. Tony's behavior could only be construed as extremely odd. He was pulling away from things more than he ever had in the past. He spent very little, if any time at Stark. Pepper was essentially running the company, and as far as I could tell, doing a great job. Tony Stark was usually difficult to deal with on a regular day, but now, he had totally checked out. Other than working on the suits, he wasn't interested in much else. At least that was the façade he projected. What truly was going on in that mind of his was a whole other story.
"He's gone too far this time! I can't believe he would do this without even consulting me! I was the one who curated that collection not him. He never even looked at them!" She bellows throwing her hands up in the air to stress her point.
Well, I'm gonna dive in, why not.
"Pepper, what are you talking about?" I cautiously inquire.
"That person that you call a boss," she says pointing in the direction of the workshop stairs, "has gone and, and….I can't even say it!" She turns and walks away from me towards the panoramic ocean view windows of the living room.
"He's gone and what?" I prod.
After a moment she turns to me. It's all written on her face, the anger and the hurt. Tony's hurt her, certainly not physically, but definitely emotionally. I don't think I have ever seen this particular look in Pepper's eyes. In all the years I've known her, and all the outrageous things Tony has done, I don't think I've ever seen anything affect her like this.
"He's given away our entire modern art collection. The entire thing, to the Boy Scouts of America."
"The Boy Scouts?" I question.
She bobs her head as she speaks, "Yes, every single piece. There's nothing left."
She sinks to the couch in front of me, defeated.
"I spent 10 years curating that collection Happy. Ten years. I loved that collection. I know they didn't belong to me, but it was my achievement. Such a wonderful private collection," she sniffed at the end, glancing away, her eyes heavy with tears.
"Pepper," I say rising and heading toward her, "please don't cry."
"I'm not crying," she answers quickly, wiping her nose, "it's just a cold."
I can see through her. She's upset, but almost more importantly, she's bitterly disappointed. Tony can be such an unmitigated ass. He knows very well what that collection means to her. Hell, the only reason he kept collecting was because he knew how much she loved it.
This really troubles me. Tony had actually gone out of his way to do this behind her back, knowing full well how she would feel about it, how she would be devastated. He had every right to sell or give away his collection and Pepper knows that, accepts it. This was a willful disregard of her feelings, something that Tony has never done before. Up until this moment, I never thought that he would purposely hurt her. I guess I was wrong.
She rises quickly from the couch and makes her way to the staircase. "If you'll excuse me Hap, I need to have a discussion with Mr. Stark."
One thing is for sure, I wouldn't want to be Tony right now.
-0000000000000000000-
Pepper had been down in the workshop for 15 minutes or so when I hear the familiar click of her heals ascending the stairs. I'm not quite sure to expect. My best guess is that she will have done some yelling and that her eyes will likely be red rimmed.
The Pepper that emerges at the top of the stairs is anything but. She looks shocked, elated, happy and any combination of the three. I am at a loss for what could possibly have happened down in that workshop.
"Ah, Pepper," I start, "what's going on? Fifteen minutes ago you were enraged and now you're happy? What happened down there?"
She walks over to the couch I am sitting on and slowly lowers herself next to me, never breaking eye contact. She doesn't speak for several minutes.
So I wait.
"Tony's stepping down as CEO," she states plainly.
"What? I can't believe it. It's hi-
"He's making me CEO," Pepper interrupts.
That stops me cold, and I just look at her.
"I know," she says, a smile spreading across her face.
I am speechless for a moment. Not because I doubt her ability. Pepper has been practically running the company for the past year. She's one of the most capable people I know.
"Pepper, that's spectacular!" I gush, truly happy for her. She has finally gained a reward for all those years of being Tony's girl Friday.
"I know!" she yells, the joy bubbling from her. "I can't believe it!"
"But Happy, can I do this? I mean who am I to be running this multibillion dollar company? Taking over for Tony freak'n Stark!" She questioned more to herself than to me.
I place my hands on her arms, gripping lightly, and repeat my most recent thoughts. "Pepper, you are one of the most capable beings I have ever met. For Christ sake, you were able to handle Tony Stark for 10 years. That alone qualifies you to be president."
She chuckles lightly, though the hidden worry is still close to the surface.
"It'll be fine," I encourage, "You'll do an amazing job."
"Thanks Happy," she returns gracing me with that genuine, beautiful Pepper Potts smile.
Gathering herself, she rises from the couch.
"I've got to go call my Mom!" she tells me, the excitement sparkling in her eyes as she turns and quickly exits the room.
An interesting turn of events. Tony Stark the son of the company's founder, the heir and brilliant scientific mind is turning over his company to Pepper.
Something is definitely wrong.
