because when I heard about the alternative storyline for Natasha in Endgame, my brain would not stop. and because I firmly believe Pepper and Natasha were friends.

fair warning: a few time jumps in this one - thankfully not of the time-travel variety.

enjoy.

Pepper leans back into the couch cushions as a heavy sigh quickly turns into a large yawn. She stretches her arms and flexes her fingers in an effort to abate some of the stiffness that had settled in over the past few hours. She had foolishly decided to spend a little bit of time going through her emails to prioritize what needed to be dealt with immediately and what could wait. Two and a half hours later, and she had barely made a dent.

The sudden disappearance of half the world's population was, understandably, causing chaos and panic everywhere. In the immediate aftermath of Thanos' snap she had managed to get in touch with Rhodey, who had filled her in best he could on what had happened. He and the remaining Avengers had stayed in Wakanda briefly to try and figure out a response to the catastrophic event, but left just a few days later empty handed and ultimately without a plan. They reconvened at the Compound where they had access to more of their resources. Pepper and Happy had joined them there, providing what support they could and keeping a hopeful eye on their efforts of locating Tony.

Once Tony had gotten back and had the very nasty falling out with Steve, she and Tony decided they would move back into the city. But just as soon as the world had begun taking steps toward righting itself, Tony had switched gears and begun building them a house on a lake far away from the city's glaring spotlights and away from the painful memories of the Compound. In the grand scheme of things, they weren't actually all that far from the Compound, but they may as well have been in Antarctica with how vast the distance felt.

A small frown creases Pepper's brow as her email chimes with a new batch of emails. Half the world disappears and somehow I get more emails than before?! she thinks as she holds in a sigh. But a quick scan of the emails has her doing a double-take, because sitting there at the top is one from Natasha.

Pepper,

Hoping everything is well with you. I have something I'd like to discuss with you, do you have some time for a meeting?

I'm happy to meet at any time and place that is convenient for you - just forward the details.

I also understand completely if you don't want to meet. I just ask that you let me know.

Thanks,

Natasha

Given the way Tony had ripped into Steve shortly after returning from space, and the subsequent failure by the rest of the remaining team to get the stones back, things had been more than a little tense amongst the former team members.. Everyone had ended up falling into a silently agreed upon no contact rule. Tony let them stay at the Compound and paid the monthly expenses for the building, etc., and they left Tony alone. Of course Rhodey and Bruce were the exception to this, both checking in with Tony and her pretty frequently.

With the continued tension, it was strange for Natasha to be reaching out. Clearly whatever she wanted to discuss was important if she was breaking their implicitly agreed upon silence, but still...Tony wouldn't be happy when he found out. While more of his resentment was directed toward Steve, a good chunk of it was aimed at Natasha for betraying him on the Accords. Tony didn't trust easily, and when that trust was broken it was not easily earned back.

Pepper's relationship with Natasha was still civil though, even if they hadn't talked in some time, and it was clear the issue to be discussed was important. Decision made, she leans forward and taps out a response.

Natasha,

I have some time Thursday morning. Let's meet for coffee at 9am. I'll come to you.

Pepper

She collapses back into the couch again as her mind begins to spin through possibilities of what Natasha might want...or perhaps more accurately, what she might need. From what Rhodey had explained, Steve had taken a step back from leading the team in the months that followed their failed attempt to get the stones, splitting his time between helping with Avengers-related duties and running a support group in Brooklyn. Natasha had stepped up as the leader in his absence, and had apparently been more focused than ever on finding a solution to bring everybody back. But Rhodey had also told her it was clear that Nat was struggling.

"Whatcha working on?"

Pepper blinks in surprise, she hadn't realized Tony had returned from the garage already. She was used to his tinkering sessions lasting until all hours of the morning, even if he was trying hard to be more present in their time together. "Just trying to get through some of my inbox."

"Lost cause," he replies with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Pepper eyes him for a moment as she weighs whether or not she should tell him about Natasha's email. "Someone has to do it. Not everything got put on hold."

Tony shrugs. "I guess. You're the boss."

Pepper lets silence settle around them for a moment before she decides to tell him. "I got an email from Natasha." Tony's gaze hardens slightly and his posture stiffens. "She has something she wants to discuss with me."

"What is it?" His tone is wary, and laced with tension.

"She didn't say."

"Is she coming here?"

Pepper shakes her head. "I'm going to the Compound Thursday morning."

"I'm coming with you."

"Tony, you don't have to. I know you don't like-"

"If you're going, I'm going. I don't know what she wants, but-"

"She's not the enemy, Tony," Pepper says gently, thinking of a time when the two of them had traded quips effortlessly.

"Yeah, well she's not exactly a friend either."

"She was once."

"Not anymore."

"Well don't just come along to bring up old grudges."

"I won't say a word if you don't want me to."

"That'd be a first," she remarks dryly.

"Ha. Ha. I mean it, though."

"Fine."

"Romanoff," Tony says evenly as he strides through the doorway. "Love what you've done with the place," he adds, looking pointedly at the haphazard piles of paper with indecipherable scrawled notes across many of them. Pepper's own eyes trail over the desk and she's surprised by the mess there. Natasha was many things, but messy was certainly not one of them. Her work and her desk during her time at Stark Industries had been impeccable, and as good a spy as she is, Pepper suspects that's not something easily faked for as long as she'd done it.

"You forget I've seen your work shop. Glass houses, Tony…" she lobs back. Maybe if Rhodey hadn't said anything, Pepper wouldn't have noticed...but now all she can see is the bags under Nat's eyes and the exhaustion in her posture. Even her barb to Tony lacks its usual bite.

"Never was one for greenhouses," he quips dismissively, his gaze sliding to the hallway as though looking for something…or someone.

"You checking to see if you get to keep my damage deposit?"

He shrugs. "Can't be too careful. Gotta watch my back. I've seen what you can do with knives…"

Oh, that was so uncalled for. "Tony," Pepper tuts sharply, but both he and Natasha seem to ignore her.

"He's not here," Natasha says icily, steely gaze fixed on Tony, "so you can stop straining your neck."

"I don't give a sh-"

"Tony!" Pepper interrupts, this time more forcibly. "If you're just going to antagonize things here, you can wait in the car."

He huffs, but stays quiet and drops down on the couch in the sitting area. Pepper sits down gently on the other end of the couch and shoots him one last look of warning before turning her attention to Natasha once more.

"Can I get you anything? A tea, maybe?" Natasha offers diplomatically.

"That would be lovely, thank you."

Natasha nods and disappears into the kitchen area.

"I swear to God, Tony," Pepper whispers furiously. "You said you were going to be quiet."

"What, I can't catch up for old time's sake?"

Pepper glares. "Behave, or you'll be walking home."

"But I-"

"I mean it. You may have a grudge match, but my relationship with Natasha is still civil. And we both know whatever it is she wants to talk about must be important if she reached out. So shut up and behave," she finishes just as Natasha makes her way back into the room with a tray.

"Tea for you, Pepper. And I brought you a coffee, Tony. You want me to taste it first so you know it's not poisoned?"

Pepper resists the urge to drop her head into her hands. Tony was antagonistic, yes, but Natasha wasn't exactly acting angelic either.

"Nah, you don't hate Pepper and she inexplicably likes me, so I like my chances."

Natasha's brow furrows ever so briefly. "I don't hate you, Tony," she says, all the venom and bitterness having melted out of her tone. Pepper can't help but hear sadness in her words.

"We gonna discuss anything other than the past, or what?" he says quickly, not dwelling on her words. Pepper suppresses the urge to point out he was the one dragging up old grudges.

Natasha sits up straighter and nods. "Thank you for coming," she says evenly, turning to face Pepper. "How's the baby treating you?"

"Temperamental, like their father," Pepper replies dryly. "I swear I'm throwing up every twenty minutes and I'm exhausted all the time...but it's a miracle given everything that's happened, so I'm not complaining."

Natasha doesn't say anything but she smiles. Pepper takes a sip of her tea and isn't surprised when it's perfect. Years later and of course Natasha still remembers how she takes it. "So what did you need to discuss?"

"I have a proposal of sorts."

Tony's brow arches, but he remains quiet much to Pepper's surprise. "What kind of proposal?"

"The potentially slightly expensive kind."

"Of course it's expensive," Tony scoffs.

Aaaaand there it is, Pepper thinks to herself. She knew he wouldn't be able to help himself. It's going off the rails now for sure.

"What d'you want to spend my money on now?" Tony continues. "New weapons? Upping the food budget? Thinking of putting in an extension on the north side of the compound?"

"Orphans," Natasha answers succinctly, not rising to the bait.

Tony frowns. "Come again?"

"Orphans," she repeats. "I want to start an initiative to help out the kids who were left without anyone to care for them because of...of what happened."

Tony just stares at her and blinks as he processes her words. Her answer has taken the wind out of the sails of his grudges and pent up anger.

"What do you need from us?" Pepper asks, CEO hat sliding firmly into place as she starts thinking business.

"I'm happy to do the lion's share of the work, but I need some funding and resources. I don't have enough cash to keep it running long enough to do any good," Natasha says, her gaze dropping briefly to her hands uncharacteristically. "I'll work anonymously behind the scenes so my name stays out of it. It would be a Stark Industries thing, through and through."

Pepper considers the idea. It's not a bad one by any means. In fact, it's right in line with what the Stark Relief Foundation had been trying to do over the past few months. "Talk to me about logistics."

Natasha spends the next 25 minutes taking them through the various pieces of her proposal, including the immediate actions and the more long-term vision. Pepper finds herself a bit surprised by the poise of Natasha, given how Rhodey had alluded to her seeming to be losing her famed composure more and more often, and the uncharacteristically messy surface of her desk.

Pepper is quiet for a long moment as she contemplates things. "I'll need to talk with our lawyers to get things drawn up, but I think it's an excellent idea," she says finally.

Natasha blows out a heavy breath that Pepper is certain she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Pepper...thank you."

"Hey, it's my money," Tony interjects, but it's only half-hearted. Pepper knows he desperately wants to hate Natasha, but even with the depth of his grudge he can't deny her idea is a good one. And in any case, Pepper suspects his anger with Nat is starting to fade with time and distance.

"Ignore him, he's acting out because the grownups are talking without him," Pepper says cheekily.

Natasha smiles. "What do you need from me?"

"Do you have the proposal written out?"

Natasha shakes her head. "Not yet, I was waiting to see if it was worth putting any time into it."

"Okay," Pepper replies with a nod. "That's completely fair. Write it up, and I'll present it to our lawyers to look over. Then Tony and I will present it to the board. I don't foresee any issues getting this up and running quickly. I'll allocate some staff to help you with the logistics."

Natasha nods her understanding. "I'll have it to you by tomorrow morning."

Pepper blinks in surprise. "By Monday is fine, it's going to take some time for you to put it all together after all."

Natasha nods, but Pepper has a feeling she'll have the proposal in her inbox by the morning anyway.

"Pepper," Natasha says as she looks up from her desk, a surprised expression on her face. "Hi. Did we have an appointment?"

"Oh no," she replies, shaking her head, "I just needed to get out of the house and away from Tony."

Nat smiles weakly, but knowingly. "Hovering?"

"Unbearably."

"You know that's only going to get worse when the kid gets here, right?"

Pepper grimaces. "Yeah, I know. Do you have a few minutes? I would love to talk about anything other than this baby."

Nat smiles again, a little brighter than initially. "Yeah, I have a few minutes. You want something to drink?"

"I'd kill for a good martini, but sadly that's off the menu for now. Got any ice cream?"

"I think I've got a pint of the Hulk's flavour," she offers with an expression that's a mix between a smile and a smirk.

"Oh, thank god. Tony has been feeding me nothing but healthy snacks… I haven't seen junk food in...I don't even know how long. He even gave up cheeseburgers!"

Nat disappears into the kitchen area to retrieve the ice cream and Pepper eases herself onto the couch. Her gaze drifts around the room, cataloguing the changes since she'd been there last. The paperwork on Nat's desk seems to have tripled in size, and there's several more tablets and holo screens running seemingly constantly. She spies some ballet shoes on a chair, and a gym bag hanging off the back of it.

"Here, have at it," Nat says as she hands the pint and a spoon over to Pepper before curling up in a chair across from the couch.

"You are a goddess, Natasha," Pepper says appreciatively as she swallows the first bite of the ice cream. "A goddess!"

She chuckles. "Happy to oblige."

"So what's new with you?"

Nat shrugs. "Not much. Same as usual. Keeping up with the paperwork, making sure the initiative is still on top of things, keeping in touch with the team, doing some research."

Pepper scrutinizes her friend and wonders when the last time she left the Compound was. "I hear the initiative is doing really well. That's all thanks to your work."

"I just push the paper," Nat replies, waving off the gratitude. "Your staff are the ones making it work. They're fantastic, by the way."

Pepper frowns. "Give yourself a little credit, Nat. This is your baby, after all." A weak smile flashes on Natasha's face. "You should do an on-site visit."

Her eyes widen fractionally. "That's not necess-"

"I didn't say it was necessary. I'm saying you should do it. Those kids...you're changing their lives, Nat. So many of them want to thank you."

She shakes her head. "I'm just-"

"Pushing paper, I know," Pepper interrupts with a roll of her eyes. "We need to agree to disagree there, I think. You're making a huge difference to them. Just...think about it?"

"Okay," she replies reluctantly, though Pepper is certain she's already dismissing the thought.

"Thank you, Quinten," Pepper says with a grateful smile, her gaze fixed on the holo screen in front of her. "Anything else going on there I should know about?"

"Ms Romanoff visited the kids yesterday."

Pepper blinks in shock. When she'd suggested months before that Natasha go and visit the initiative on site, she never imagined she would actually do it. "How did that go?"

"Swimmingly. The kids, especially the girls, were over the moon to see her. We must have taken hundreds of photos. The kids have them up on their walls now."

Pepper smiles and feels her eyes begin to tear up. God damn hormones she curses to herself. "Could you send me a few of them? I'd like to pass them along to her."

"Of course, ma'am."

"Anything else?"

"No, that's it."

"Great, talk to you next week," Pepper says before ending the video call and taking out the ear piece.

A notification for an email from Quinten pops up a minute later and she opens it. He's sent over a few photos, all of which feature Natasha posing with some of the kids. The last one is by far her favourite though. Nat is sitting on a couch, absolutely swarmed and covered by kids who are clearly laughing, their smiles wide and eyes bright. Nat's got a smile on her face as well, and though it's a far cry from her smiles in the early Avengers days, it's the happiest Pepper has seen her since before the Accords tore the team apart.

"What's that?" Tony asks, gesturing to the photos on the screen in front of her with the spatula he's using to cook dinner.

"Nat finally went to visit the kids. I asked Quinten to send over some photos."

"Yeah? How'd it go?"

"Judging by the huge grins on their faces, I'd say quite well," she replies, flicking the photos over to him.

He pauses his cooking to enlarge them and lean in to have a closer look. Pepper is surprised to find his expression soften considerably and a gentle smile spread as he looks at them. He schools his features and then glances back at Pepper. "You should send a copy of this one to her," he says, pointing at the group shot of Nat swarmed on the couch. "God knows she needs something to brighten up that desk of hers."

"Yeah?" Pepper replies. Maybe the hatchet had truly begun to be buried after all, she muses.

"We've probably got a spare frame somewhere, right?" She nods. "Then throw it in a frame and mail it over."

Pepper nods and then grabs a pen and paper to write a short note to accompany it.

Natasha,

A reminder that all the paper you're pushing has a real impact. Thank you for all your efforts.

Pepper

"Mommy?"

"What're you doing up, Morgan?" Pepper asks, turning around and finding her daughter standing in the doorway.

"Can't sleep," she mumbles tiredly.

"Bad dreams?"

Morgan just shrugs, and Pepper is again struck by how much she looks like Tony. Her heart aches and she closes her eyes for just a moment to gather herself.

"What are you doing?"

"Paperwork," Pepper answers, holding out her arms. Morgan obliges the silent request and climbs up onto her lap, immediately snuggling into her mother's arms.

"Daddy said paperwork was the worst."

Pepper chuckles. "He never did like paperwork. Always left it for me to do," she replies, tickling Morgan lightly.

Morgan giggles as she squirms before melting back into her mother's embrace. "What's it for?"

Pepper's gaze drifts down to the papers on the desk as she ghosts her fingers over the text. Her heart aches again, this time for a different loss.

"You remember your Aunt Natasha?" Morgan nods. "Well she was the one who did the paperwork for the people helping kids that don't have parents to look after them."

"But she's gone now," Morgan murmurs and buries her head in her mother's shoulder.

Pepper's heart clenches again painfully. Her daughter had experienced far too much death for such a young age.

"That's right," Pepper replies softly as she begins to stroke her daughter's head gently. "And I want to honour her and the work she did, so I'm renaming the place that helps those kids."

Morgan doesn't reply right away, and as Pepper looks down at her daughter she thinks of a red-headed girl who'd suffered so very much but had still grown up to be a hero. She thinks of the woman who had saved her life, Tony's life, and Rhodey's life once upon a time, and had become a good friend to her and Tony. She thinks of the woman who gave up everything for a chance to save everyone else.

"What's it gonna be called now?" Morgan's question startles her out of her thoughts.

"The Natasha Romanoff Foundation."

"That's nice," Morgan says. "People will remember her that way. Like they remember daddy."

"Yeah," Pepper croaks out, emotion choking her again. "That's exactly right."

"Are you sad, Mommy?" Morgan asks, reaching a hand up to wipe away a tear from Pepper's cheek.

Pepper smiles at the loving gesture. "Yeah," she admits.

"You miss Daddy?"

"Every single day."

"Me too." A pause. "Do you miss Aunt Tasha too?"

Pepper nods and feels her throat tighten even further with emotion. The memory of Tony's phone call shortly after they returned from their time traveling flickers in her mind. She remembers the feeling of shock when he'd told her they had lost Nat.

"Very much," Pepper manages to get out, nodding sadly as memories of time spent with Natasha over the years begin to float to the surface.

"Me too," Morgan replies softly. "She was cool."

"She was, wasn't she?" Pepper says with a chuckle through the handful of tears that had escaped. "But you need to get to bed, little miss."

Morgan doesn't say anything as she snuggles her head further into Pepper's arms.

"You go to bed and I'll tell you a story about Daddy and Aunt Tasha. Deal?"

Morgan's head pops up and she smiles. "Deal!" she says as she drops out of Peppers arms and bounds out of the office.

"All snuggled in?" Pepper asks from the doorway after following her to her room. Morgan nods. "Okay...did Daddy ever tell you about the time Aunt Natasha reprogrammed his suit to play Russian music randomly?"

this one's been one of my favourites to write. seems every time I went back to edit it, I was inspired to add a bit more.

as always, your thoughts, comments, and feedback are welcomed and appreciated. always nice to hear what folks think.

still more to come...