Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters within they belong to Janet Evanovich and Marvel I just took them out to play for a bit.
AN: As my muse has utterly abandoned the novel I am trying to write I thought I would play in some writing prompts to see if I can give her a kick in the patute.
Tears streamed down Stephanies face as she ran down the stairs nearly blinded by them but unwilling to wait for the elevator or give anyone a chance to stop her. She had finally gotten the courage to break things off permanently with Morelli and ask Ranger for the relationship she yearned for only to be crushed. She was more than welcome to share his bed but he was not willing to offer more.
Managing to make it back to her apartment in one piece she fell to the floor as soon as the door closed behind her. 'How did I fall for him I knew better he told me over and over with those stupid one liners of his the ones he would throw out when he thought she was getting too close. His actions told a different story and my feelings developed as his stayed in lust. How low do I have to be that all the men in my life want from me is sex, and even then they can't manage to be loyal.'
Looking around at her bare apartment she sighed to herself. "Well you have made a proper ass of yourself packing your stuff convinced he would fall to his knees and ask you to live with him." She sat down trying to decide what to do next before deciding she actually didn't need a plan she was done with Trenton there was officially nothing keeping her here anymore. Her friends turned out to be like everyone else out for the entertainment she could provide, her mother had disowned her as soon as she had permanently broken things off with Morelli, and her grandmother had passed six weeks ago while Ranger had been in the wind hell she doubted he even knew.
She didn't have the will or strength to get up so she had slept there in the floor in front of her door. When she had woken she went down to see Dillon arranging to have everything donated or tossed and offered to pay out a penalty for leaving mid-lease. He merely shook his head saying it wasn't a problem and wishing her luck. Getting in the car she had called Pepper deciding to visit her before deciding on her next move. She had been doing work on the side tracking people down and researching for the Avengers team so she actually had a small nest egg set aside. Turns out that while she was terrible at bounty hunting she had uncanny luck in finding people and it paid well!
Pepper stood seething as she looked out the window unable to process what had happened to her friend. She had been tempted to sick the teams resident assassin on the people in her friends life that had taken the confident young woman she had met years ago and turned her into the sobbing mess who thought she was not worthy of love she had spoken to a few hours ago. Stephanie had still been in college when she and Pepper had met at an event she had been volunteering at for a veterans fund raiser Tony had skipped. They had instantly bonded over shoes and shopping talks and had kept in touch over the years. Her phone calls since returning to Trenton had gotten fewer and filled with false happiness most of the time unless she had one of the rare moments of calling for a shoulder to cry on which had been the case today for which caused Pepper to order her up to New York immediately.
"Mrs. Potts there is a visitor for you at security." Jarvis startled her out of her thoughts.
"I will be right down Jarvis please have a badge made up for her I am hoping I can talk her into staying for the team."
"Who are we inviting into the fold Pepp?" Tony sauntered in.
"I thought you were busy all day Tony. I am going down to get my friend Stephanie and you will behave yourself or I will have Thor electrocute you sans suit next time he is here." Pepper growled.
"Just tell me its your secret genius researcher that is coming." Tony rubbed his hands together with a look of glee.
"Well I don't know about genius by any stretch of the imagination, but I have been helping Pepper out when she asks. My name is Stephanie Plum."
"Come now Tony you think we didn't know everything there was to know about our secret researcher with her being involved with Pepper? Stephanie Plum bumbling bounty hunter ends up in endless embarrassing situations, but always brings her man in. She attracts the crazies so extra guards will be needed if she is out with Pepper. Oh and don't let her drive any cars you have any sentimental value to as she loves to destroy them." Natasha said casually
" Damn couldn't you have sugar coated that a little! If you were trying to make me feel even more incompetent than I do on the regular you have succeeded. It sucks getting my failures laid out like that and I do not love destroying cars! It just happens a lot I am usually not even in them." Stephanie defended.
"Wait you told Natasha but not me?!" Tony pouted
"I never said incompetent you just never had the proper training which actually is more impressive in itself. You have a stellar capture rate in the top 10% in the US. If you had the proper training you would be a force to be reckoned with and would most like move to the top 3-5% in my estimation."
"Please stay Steph! You already said you were done with Trenton I want you for the Avengers your work is already so valuable to us."Pepper begged softly pulling her into a hug.
"Pepper please stop offering me pity jobs I have a nice nest egg thanks to the previous jobs so I am set for a while before having to make any decisions."
"Ms. Plum you may be a friend, but this was never at any point pity work. The research you provide is pivotal to our safety as a team and we are putting our lives in your hands when you are doing this job. Your info has kept us from walk into traps that would have seriously injured or killed members of this team." Natasha growled.
"The super spy is right if this were pity I would simply made sure money had appeared in your account or set you up here with an apartment." Tony snarked
"You wouldn't, you don't have access to my account information." Stephanie started.
"Account information? I may be slower than super spy over here but I had all of your info within minutes of having your full name." Tony made a gesture throwing the information up for everyone to view.
"See you don't even need me" Stephanie announced with false cheer. "Pepper I am sure you don't need it, but this is my hotel information. We can catch up over dinner at the hotel restaurant before I head back out on the road."
"Ms Plum pardon me for saying, but if you don't have any set plans why not stay here for a while. You could sign a short term contract and help out the team for a while it would give you an even larger nest egg than you already have you can never have too much money stashed away." Natasha butted in.
"I don't know I am honestly thinking of started my own venture so I am not wanting to sign any contracts at the moment. I may not be good at bringing the people in but I am confident in my research and investigation skills. Not to mention I really am tired of blown up cars and being covered in god knows what. Let me think bout it." Stephanie sighed
"Thats perfect Ms Plum! The Avengers can be your first contract and that alone will keep you afloat until you have clientele built up. Not to mention the clients that will be attracted by the fact you are handling our contracts. I even have space for your offices right here in the tower which you will have rent free as part of our contracted fee. Jarvis is that contract ready we will need to make some changes to include Ms Plums start up. What will the name of your venture be? I can go ahead and draw everything up and get your business on the books by the end of business day."
Stephanie was absolutely shell shocked. "Contract? Wait I didn't agree.."
"Ms Plum you underestimate me between the work I have seen from you and your friendship with Pepper you are not walking out of here without a contract. You are family and we take care of family here."