because I enjoy the thought of Pepper and Nat sitting down over drinks (alcoholic or otherwise) and commiserating over the men in their lives.

enjoy.

"C'mon, Pep, hurry up!"

"You know I can't walk any faster in these heels."

"Why are you wearing heels?" Tony asks as he stops abruptly and turns around to face her, an expression of confusion on his face. "This is the place of eternal rest. Nothing about heels screams 'rest' to me."

Pepper arches an eyebrow. "I happen to like these shoes," she argues. They'd been her favourite pair while she was alive and she'd been happier than she would ever admit out loud that they had somehow followed her to the afterlife.

"Yes, dear, but are they comfortable?"

Pepper resists the urge to grind her teeth in frustration, because of course he's just a little bit right. Favourite shoes or not, they were not designed for lengthy walks. When she doesn't answer he opens his mouth to no doubt to insert another comment of some kind, but she beats him to the punch. "Don't," she warns. "Just don't."

He flashes a slightly lopsided grin. "Don't what? I was just going to point out that we need to turn here. It's just a few houses down that way," he says, pointing down the street.

She levels him with a narrowed gaze she knows he recognizes as her calling bullshit on him. He just grins wider in that oh-so-Tony-Stark way and gives a dramatic 'after you' bow. They make it all the way to the front door of the house in silence before he can't resist any longer.

"I'm just saying, you don't have a board room full of guys in power suits that're compensating for little you-know-whats that you need to impress anymore," he says before knocking a few times. "You can wear some casual shoes and literally no one is gonna judge you."

She arches an eyebrow knowingly. "Glad you got that off your chest?"

"Yes, actually, thanks," he replies cheekily and then tries to unsuccessfully dodge her swat.

"Ow! Jeez, have some respect for-"

Before things can escalate any further the door swings open and Pepper's eyes swing around quickly to find Natasha standing in the doorway. She looks well rested for perhaps the first time that Pepper's ever seen, and Nat appears significantly less stressed and worn down than the last time she'd seen her. Granted, that had been in the aftermath of Thanos' actions and when Nat was basically shouldering the entire effort to find a solution, but still...it was good to see the redhead's time in the place of eternal rest had apparently brought some rest.

There's a flash of surprise in Nat's expression but then a grin spreads across her face quickly. "Hey, Pepper. Is this guy harassing you again?"

"Endlessly," Pepper says stepping forward into Nat's opened arms. "It's really good to see you, Natasha."

"Likewise," Nat says as they break apart. Tony opens up his arms for a hug and Pepper laughs when Natasha leaves him out to dry, instead wordlessly gesturing for her to enter the house.

"You cut me deep, Itsy Bitsy."

"Can't," she quips as she looks back over her shoulder at him, "they took my knives away on entry."

"Like you need actual knives," he murmurs, stepping into the foyer and closing the door behind him.

Pepper's gaze drifts around the house, which is warm, inviting, and tastefully decorated. She spots some comfortable looking leather couches and an over-sized leather chair arranged in front of a modern style fireplace in a room just off of the foyer, and Pepper can just imagine Nat curled up there, reading a book or watching TV. There's pictures of friends and family on a shelf above the fireplace and on the end tables next to the couches, showcasing various points throughout Nat's life. Pepper's a bit surprised to spot one of herself, Natasha, and Morgan at the lake house - Morgan's third birthday, if she remembers correctly.

She would never claim that she and Natasha had been exceptionally close...but they'd been friends. Nat's status as an Avenger meant that she and Tony naturally spent more time together and were closer, yes, but they had still been friends. Hearing from Tony that she'd died had hurt - more than Pepper had expected.

Pepper's time as Tony's PA had meant her existing friendships withered away fairly early on. It hadn't surprised Pepper that she lost friends - being at Tony Stark's beck and call 24/7 and having to clean up his messes tended to wreak havoc on a person's life after all. Of course when she became CEO everyone suddenly wanted to be her friend again. But it was always at a cost because they all wanted something from her - access to Tony, something from the company, or to exploit a link to a celebrity.

Nat had never cared about gaining access to influence the company though, and certainly had no desire to try and cash in on Tony's celebrity status, and so in a time when everyone had an underlying agenda, Pepper appreciated the genuineness of Natasha's friendship. They'd shared drinks many times over the years to commiserate about Tony's antics and the widespread testosterone they both had to deal with on a regular basis. Not to mention she'd been an invaluable source of strength and support while Tony was adrift in space, and she'd been over to the house more than a few times over those five years once Tony got over his grudge.

"Be nice, Tony. I made pelmeni." Nat's voice startles Pepper out of her thoughts and she refocuses on the scene in front of her.

"Don't joke with me about that, Red," Tony fires back quickly with wide, hopeful eyes.

She holds a hand to her heart. "You know I don't joke about Russian cuisine."

"Are they warm?" he asks, excitement clear in his tone. Pepper is left confused by his reaction because as far as she knew he had never been particularly excited about anything culinary in nature beyond an American cheeseburger, and certainly not about Russian cuisine.

Natasha nods and gestures vaguely to the kitchen. "Go ahead, but leave some for the rest of us."

He grins and then immediately begins to head toward the back of the house. He makes it three steps before he turns and looks apologetically at Pepper. "Uh, sorry, Pep. You good to…" he trails off.

Pepper shakes her head lightly and lets out a huff of amusement. Typical Tony. "I'm fine, go ahead."

"Sweet!" he says as he turns on his heel and heads to the back of the house...presumably where the kitchen is located.

"I apologize for his manners," Pepper says, turning to face Natasha.

Nat waves it off. "I'm used to it. Besides, he's been pretty good company," she says with a casual shrug before gesturing to the couches in the room adjacent to the front door. "Please, let's sit."

"Thanks," Pepper says with a polite smile, letting her gaze drift around the room again. The house is a mix of old and new - with modern finishes and styles worked into what's obviously an older house...maybe even historical. The thought of Can things even be historical here? pops into her head for a fleeting moment before she dismisses it in favour of appreciating the style. For reasons she can't quite place it feels like a true reflection of Natasha.

"Can I get you a drink?"

Natasha's words startle her out of her examination and she blushes lightly at being caught. "Oh, yes. That would be great."

"Martini still your preferred poison? Or I have some wine if you prefer."

"Whatever's easiest," she answers diplomatically before reaching a hand down to massage her foot. It pained her to admit it, but Tony really had been right. Heels, while beautiful and excellent at providing confidence, were not terribly comfortable. Not to mention he had very much downplayed the distance to Natasha's house, meaning her feet were a bit sore.

"Feel free to take those off," Natasha throws out without turning around as she mixes their drinks. "We're old friends, and your husband regularly raids my fridge for food now. I think that's enough familiarity to dispense with formalities about shoes."

Pepper's expression is caught between embarrassment at being caught and intrigue at learning that Nat can cook (and that Tony regularly steals her food!). She eventually admits defeat and slips off her heels, tucking her feet underneath her legs as she curls up on an end of one of the couches.

"Vodka martini dry, right?" Natasha says, holding out a glass to her.

"Yeah," Pepper says in surprise before almost instantly realizing she shouldn't be surprised at all since Natasha had been her assistant once upon a time. And a very good one, at that, she thinks. "Thanks."

"Sure," Natasha says with a dismissive wave as she curls up on the other corner of the couch, a glass tumbler with clear liquid in it in her hand. Vodka, Pepper guesses. "So, how are you?"

"Adjusting," she answers simply. Understatement she thinks immediately after the words have left her mouth.

"Understandably," Nat offers before taking a sip of her drink. "Tony give you the grand tour?"

Pepper snorts. "You mean his favourite cheeseburger place and his lab? Yep."

Nat chuckles. "Some things even death doesn't change."

"Apparently," she replies. "Seems like you've settled in here. Your house is gorgeous."

"Thanks. You'd never be able to tell but it was a complete mess when I moved in. I think this place knew I needed a project back then. Something to focus my energy on."

"The place knew?"

"You'll see - it's like anything you could want or need just somehow manages to appear or happen," Nat answers with a shrug. "I was never religious, so I never believed in an afterlife of any kind, but I jumped off a cliff and woke up here. So either I miraculously survived and my mind is working some serious overtime to concoct a fantasy world for me to live in, or this is really the afterlife. I'm inclined to think it's the latter."

Pepper takes a sip before asking, "Why?"

Nat takes a drink of her own before answering. "Magic stones that could end and bring back half of all living creatures, aliens from distant planets, humans with abilities beyond what science can explain… I never imagined they would be things that could be real and yet they were. Who am I to say the afterlife isn't real?"

"Fair enough. In that case, to eternal rest," Pepper offers as she holds up her glass in a toast.

Just as Natasha opens her mouth to echo the toast, there's a loud yell from the kitchen, "Nat, these are amazing! Like, better than usual, I mean."

Pepper shakes her head and can't help the laugh that slips out. Plus ça change...

"Hey...did this display break again ?! You want me to take a look at it?" There's a beat of silence but before Nat could even begin to possibly answer he continues. "You know what? I'm gonna sort this out for you. There's some serious room for upgrades here and I think I've got a real fix for it. Just gotta grab my tools. I'll be back."

"He forgot I'm here, didn't he?" Pepper asks in amusement after they hear the back door slam shut.

"Probably," Natasha agrees with a knowing smile. "I wouldn't hold it against him though. You spend a long time learning how to live here without the people from your life, and then suddenly they're with you again. It's an adjustment for sure."

Pepper nods understandingly. She had only appeared a few days ago, so it wasn't inconceivable that he was still getting used to having her around again. Wait...was it days? she wonders. Time doesn't seem to flow the same as it did on earth...

"In any case, at least we'll have some peace and quiet for a bit. Should take him at least a couple hours to fix it," Nat adds.

Pepper notices a twinkle of mischief in her eyes and then realization sets in. "You broke it on purpose didn't you?"

Nat can't help the smile from curling on her lips. "I like to challenge him now and then," she explains. "I don't actually use that display all that much. I just throw some junked code in there for him to try and find, and break some circuits now and then. He's convinced there's something inherently wrong with it. Beyond the stuff I break that is."

Pepper laughs. "He has no idea?"

"Not that I'm aware. Why not, I have no idea, because everything else here works perfectly. But I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth."

Pepper shakes her head in amusement. People always used to tell her she was the only person who knew how to handle Tony, but she knew better. She'd seen the little moments between Nat and him that betrayed how well she knew him. Nat was an expert in guiding him to the things he needed without having to outright tell him.

"You always did know how to manipulate him."

Natasha smiles. "He's not all that complicated. He just needs something to fix. And if he doesn't have that, he needs something to tinker with."

"Very true," Pepper agrees, taking another sip of her drink. She'd spent the better part of her life trying to get him to rest, only to realize that it just wasn't for him.

"So, how are you finding life after death?"

Pepper can't help the minute shake of her head. Natasha was just so droll about it. As though dying and waking up in heaven wasn't such a monumental event. "It's not all that different...or at least not that I can tell. Tony's shown me a few places, but we haven't really ventured far."

"Well you're not wrong. It is very much the same. Though there are a few spots that do make it feel a little less earthy and a little more...heavenly, I suppose the best word would be."

"Is that what this is? Heaven?"

Natasha shrugs. "No idea. But it's not eternal damnation, so I'm happy with it."

Pepper considers the response, and wonders if Nat really thinks so little of herself even after sacrificing her life to bring everybody back.

Natasha seems to sense Pepper's slight uncertainty. "Sorry," she apologizes. "Force of habit. Your husband has done his level best to get rid of that notion in my head."

"Did he succeed?"

Nat takes a sip of her drink before she answers. "Well, he doesn't tend to fail a whole lot once he puts his mind to something, so…"

"Good," Pepper says succinctly. She licks her lips as she ponders the question she really wants to ask. "How's he been?"

Nat smiles. "Good. He took to life here a lot more smoothly than I did. He patched things up with his dad and he spends time with him and his mom now. He visits with Yinsen and Peggy pretty regularly. Steve too." She pauses to take another sip of her drink before continuing. "He's missed you and Morgan of course, but he's been good otherwise."

Pepper lets out a breath she hadn't realized that she'd been holding. Some part of her had worried he wouldn't find any semblance of rest, even though he very much deserved it.

"He's been a good friend," she adds with a soft, fleeting smile. "I hate that he had to be here with me so soon, but…it's been really nice having him here."

Pepper nods and smiles gently. Before Natasha's funeral she'd asked Steve and Bruce if there was any family they should be calling. They'd informed her that Nat's family had been the Bartons and the Avengers. Given what she had known about Natasha's past it hadn't been altogether surprising at the time. Thinking about it now though, Pepper realizes that without Tony joining her so soon Natasha may have been mostly alone here for years.

There's a knock at the door before the conversation can progress any further. "Tony back already?" Pepper asks.

"Nah, he doesn't usually knock when he's coming back with his tools," Nat answers as she gets up to answer the door.

She opens it to find Laura Barton on the other side. "Hey, Nat."

Nat's smile spreads easily. "Hey, Laura. Come on in."

"Oh, sorry!" Laura says as she spots Pepper on the couch. "I didn't realize-"

"Please, join us," Pepper calls from the couch. "Nat was just catching me up on everything here. Tony's not the best tour guide, as I'm sure you can imagine."

Laura chuckles. "Well, if you're sure you don't mind."

"We don't," Nat confirms, leaving the front door open and wandering back into the room. "Oh," she says, a thought occurring to her mid-step. "Hang on, have you two met?"

Pepper nods but Laura is the one to step in and explain. "Yes, at your funeral actually."

Nat blinks as she processes the words and then nods, directing the conversation deftly away from the potentially mood dampening topic. "Okay, so no introductions needed," she says casually.

Pepper is shocked by how at ease she is with the explanation. But then again…she'd been dead for decades. Maybe these were things she'd long since come to terms with.

"What're you feeling today?" Nat asks Laura, bringing Pepper's focus back to the conversation at hand.

Laura doesn't hesitate with the abrupt topic shift. "You got any of that red from last week?"

"I think so."

"Whiskey's fine too if not," Laura calls as Nat disappears into the kitchen. "Hi," she adds, turning to face Pepper. "So sorry to intrude."

Pepper waves the apology off. "Don't worry about it. It was a bit of an impromptu visit anyway. I didn't realize you and Nat had something on the books."

Laura shrugs as she settles into a large chair. "Oh no, it's nothing formal. We get together now and then for some wine and gossip."

Pepper laughs lightly. "Well, that sounds delightful."

"You're more than welcome to join us. The more the merrier as they say. Especially if it's Nat's alcohol we're drinking," she adds with a light laugh.

Pepper smiles at Laura's offer, but her mind has jumped back to their first meeting at Natasha's funeral. She'd heard some things about the Bartons from Tony over the years, but she hadn't ever met any of them besides Clint before then.

"Hi, we haven't really met. I'm-"

"Mrs. Barton," Pepper finishes for her. "Tony told me about you and your children."

"Right. Of course. Please, call me Laura."

"Only if you call me Pepper."

Laura nods. It's quiet for a beat, and then, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Pepper says with a sad smile. "I'm sorry for yours," she adds, knowing how close Natasha had been with the Barton family.

Laura returns the smile with a sad one of her own. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask… Clint and I found out that Nat had been running an organization that was helping kids orphaned by the...the Blip, I think they're calling it?" Pepper nods. "I'm sure you have everything handled...but we wanted to offer our help."

Pepper can hear the emotion beneath the words and can see the woman's throat tensing with the effort of holding everything in.

"I know it's not much, but we'd like to help any way we can." She pauses and Pepper can see the emotions beginning to spill over. "We want to honour what Nat...what she started. We want to keep it going."

Pepper nods and pretends not to notice the tear slipping down Laura's cheek. It's easy to see that Laura Barton is kind and loves her family fiercely, and that Natasha was very much a part of that family.

"She did so much for us and I just...I can't do anything to repay her now, but I want to...to-"

Pepper lays a hand on her arm. Maybe it's the shared experience of having just lost a loved one, but she feels a kinship with Laura despite having just met her. "I understand," she says softly with a nod. "We'd be happy to have you both help."

"Thank you," Laura says with a nod, offering a watery smile as she wipes at the tears that have sneaked out. "I'm sorry. I'm not usually so…"

Pepper offers a reassuring smile. "It's okay, I understand."

Laura's eyes widen. "Of course. God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to imply that you didn't-"

Pepper's hand finds Laura's arm again. "It's alright."

Laura blows out a breath. "It's hard, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Pepper replies with a nod.

"I just- In a way, I'm still expecting her to stroll through my door one day. It doesn't seem real."

Pepper nods understandingly. "I still wait to hear him tucking in Morgan at night. I know he's gone, but...somehow I'm still expecting to hear him telling her a story."

"They say it gets easier with time," Laura throws out. "I'm not sure I believe that," she adds after a moment.

Pepper offers a pained, empathetic smile. "Me neither."

They fall into a companionable silence then, and Pepper lets her mind wander to happier times. Memories from the days when Tony had been overjoyed at being a new father, and when she and Natasha had coffee dates to trade stories about the idiotic men in their lives. In some ways it hurts to remember them, but it's also a balm on her aching heart. And even though she doesn't believe it, she really hopes that in time it will stop hurting so much.

"Oh, absolutely," Nat says as she reappears, wine glass in hand for Laura, startling Pepper out of her memories. "You should totally join us."

Pepper's gaze flits from Natasha to Laura again and finds that the woman's eyes are still just as warm and friendly as they were all those years ago. While they had never spent much more time together after that day, that kinship she'd felt had lingered, knowing they had shared in the loss of a loved one in similar circumstances. Well, somewhat similar. She didn't get to be with her like I did with Tony...

Suddenly the silence that has dragged on just a little too long becomes apparent to Pepper. "Well, I guess I'll have to make some time in my busy schedule," she quips, letting the melancholy thoughts in her mind drift away.

The conversation flows easily from that point. Laura tells them about her family and Clint's continued penchant for renovations - apparently he and Nat had done quite a bit of work on her house, and he had a few more planned for his and Laura's place. Nat pipes in with stories about some of Tony's mishaps with his continued tinkering of random electronics, and a few tales of Phil Coulson's still ever present hero worship for Captain America - more proof that some things never change. Pepper shares stories about Rhodey, Happy, and Morgan in the years following the battle at the Compound. At some point Tony returned and began fiddling with the display, prompting them all to flick their gazes to the kitchen from time to time as loud noises and words of frustration sounded out.

"Refills?" Nat offers as she gets up, her own glass empty.

Laura holds up a mostly full wine glass and shakes her head. "I'm good."

"Pepper?"

"Uh , sure," she agrees and holds up her glass when Nat reaches to grab it. She watches as the redhead disappears into the kitchen again, and this time she hears the familiar tones of her husband's rambling. Probably updating her on his progress and his plans for upgrades.

"I'm actually glad to have run into you," Laura says once Nat is out of earshot.

"Oh?" Pepper replies, head tilting in question.

"I sent a letter, but I wanted to thank you in person. I know it was you who cut through all that red tape so Nat's will could be honoured."

"It seemed only right," Pepper offers. The amount of red tape that'd been thrown up because they couldn't legally prove Natasha had died… It had infuriated her and she couldn't stand to let it drag on. She'd set a team of the company's lawyers on it, and they'd thankfully been able to make quick work of sorting it out.

"Well, without it we wouldn't have gotten the documents that led Clint to her boltholes which of course led us to more documents. Turns out Nat hid a lot away and left most of it to my kids. They all went and could afford college because of what you did."

"I know Nat and Tony had their differences, but she and I were okay...we were friends. And when I heard about those scumbags that were making things difficult, I couldn't just stand by while the woman who'd sacrificed herself to save everyone didn't get to have her last wishes honoured. She'd already given her life, and most of her things had been destroyed in the battle... It was the least I could do for my friend that her final requests be honoured."

Laura smiles gently as she nods slowly. "Well, we're very appreciative. And I'm sorry I never reached out to thank you in person."

"Your letter was more than enough, Laura," she says, remembering vividly when her assistant had handed it to her in confusion, not understanding why she was getting a letter from a rural part of Iowa. "And besides, like I said, it was the least I could do."

"Just so you know, Pepper," Nat says as she reenters the room and hands over her drink, "your husband has completely disassembled the entire unit."

Pepper's head falls into her hand. "Oh god."

Nat grins. "Not to worry, he'll be busy for another couple hours now. So we should probably think about dinner."

"Oh shoot. I'm on the hook for cooking at the house tonight. I completely forgot," Laura says with a frown before taking a sip of her wine.

Nat chuckles. "You're welcome here if you want. Family too, of course. In fact, it's been awhile since we've all had dinner together."

"It has. Maybe we should..." Laura hedges, a familiar glint in her eye. "Are you offering to cook?"

Nat laughs knowingly. "Tony ate all the pelmeni, sorry."

"Damn."

"We could do pizza. There's that great place not far from here, and I bet Tony hasn't taken you there yet, has he?" she suggests, turning to face Pepper.

Pepper shakes her head. "Not yet."

"Great. Let's do pizza. Now…where were we?"

"I was about to ask you two how you met," Laura says with a grin.

"You know this story already," Nat groans.

"No, I know your version of the story. I want to hear Pepper's side."

Pepper laughs. "Well, after Tony made the arguably boneheaded decision to-"

"I would argue it was an excellent decision," Nat corrects cheekily. "I'm certain the stocks would have plummeted if he'd left himself in charge much longer."

Pepper rolls her eyes. "Alright fine, the arguably good decision to make me CEO, we needed to make it official. So legal sent Ms. Rushman up to notarize it."

Laura laughs and Nat groans again.

"So she comes into the room while Tony is in his boxing ring with Happy and he asks her to join him there."

"It doesn't sound that bad when you tell it," Laura says. "Nat always made it sound-"

"I'm telling you, that assignment was torturous. A waste of my talents."

Pepper smiles at Natasha's comments. "So she joins him, and then he abruptly leaves her with Happy because she's completely flummoxed him."

"Continued eye contact does that to him. Besides, he just wanted to ogle me from afar," Nat adds before taking a sip of her vodka.

"About that...I'm sorry."

Nat shrugs. "First of all, don't apologize for him. Second of all, I got to stab him in the neck later that week, and he did eventually apologize for it, so I'm calling it even."

"He apologized?"

She nods. "Yeah, we had a little tête-à-tête not long after we both ended up here. Amazing how much ground you can cover in a conversation when Tony decides he wants to talk about the hard stuff."

Pepper shakes her head minutely in surprise. She never figured Tony to be the type to apologize for specific instances of his behaviour, or purposefully bring up the tough conversations...

"Anyway, eventually he decides he's had enough fun and decides to make it official-" Pepper stops abruptly as a thought occurs to her. "Wait...if you weren't really a notary then-"

"Relax, it was all on the up and up," Natasha soothes before taking a drink. "SHIELD was annoyingly methodical about these things. Your tenure as CEO was never in jeopardy. At least not because of it being faulty from the get go."

She breathes out a sigh of relief.

"Besides, you're dead - what does it matter?" Nat adds with an amused arched eyebrow.

Pepper blushes and tries to glare, but finds a smile sneaking onto her face as she hears Laura begin to laugh and sees Nat continue to grin.

Then a thought occurs to her. Maybe it's unwise to tread into a battle of wits with a former spy, but she was no slouch herself… "Should we talk about the time Tony caught you erasing footage of-"

"No, no," Nat interrupts. "We don't need to talk about that."

"Oh, I think we do," Laura says, leaning forward in interest. "I think we absolutely do."

Pepper grins widely. She can feel the effects of the alcohol, yes, but more so she can feel the effects of her anxiety having melted away. She'd been a bit uneasy since arriving in the afterlife, life after death having thrown her for a bit of a loop apparently, but this chance to relive the happier moments of their lives was a balm. Maybe Nat was right - maybe this place provided exactly what you needed. Or maybe they'd just earned the right for some real rest and relaxation. Either way, she wasn't going to turn down the chance.

this one was born from the conversation between Laura and Pepper at Natasha's funeral. I got that scene down ages ago and tried to figure out a way to work it in. then, because of the drama in the world I had some time to sit down and write. and voila, this chapter.

thoughts? comments? suggestions for future? do let me know...

oh, and stay safe, y'all! :)