A couple of weeks had passed since the night of Tony and Peppers engagement. Though the two had known each other for nearly two decades and had been together for close to ten years, it was as though they were a couple of teenagers in love. There was a renewed passion between the two, one that made it difficult to be in the same room as them for more than a few minutes before feeling like you were intruding on an intimate moment. It was as though they had a newfound love and appreciation for each other. It was both cute and sickening at the same time, and Anna had lived with the two of them long enough to know when to steer clear and give them their space.

Knowing to give them space left Anna with a little predicament. Due to Sam's impending arrival, and a confirmation of his arrival date, Tony had commissioned a full overhaul and refurbishment of her personal floor. It had been fine at first, the builders only working on small sections, putting up a wall here, taking one away there but the more Tony came down to see the progress, the more he decided needed to be done. She didn't mind, not really, because they were nowhere near her bedroom – until they were. Due to the fact the builders were given a strict deadline on when they needed to be finished, they had argued for more time owning to how much extra work Tony had given them and unfortunately for Anna, they made up for it by coming in at the crack of dawn and leaving after sundown. It was exhausting. It meant she was woken as soon as they got in and wasn't able to sleep until after they'd gone. When she used to stay at the tower, before she'd officially moved in, Anna would take the spare bedroom on Tony and Pepper's floor. Unfortunately, that was out of the question now, seeing as Tony hadn't added the soundproofing feature to his floor like he had with the others. She'd been scarred too many times before.

Anna wandered down to the kitchen on the communal floor. She was in a foul mood. She'd once again been woken by the contractors at the crack of dawn and, needing a strong coffee and a bagel, headed to her kitchen… only to find there was no kitchen – it had been completely ripped out. She had not been forewarned and not a single one of them had been apologetic. Anna hadn't had the energy to argue and instead growled and taken the elevator down three floors. As soon as the doors opened, she made a beeline for the coffee machine, setting it to make the strongest one it could before going on the hunt for something to eat. Coffee and a toasted cinnamon bagel in hand, she made her way over to the couches, carefully placing her breakfast on the side table before slumping down face first into the plush cushions, groaning.

"Morning, Annabelle."

Had Anna been a little more alert, she probably would have jumped at the unexpected greeting, alas she did not. She also did not have the energy to care that she was still in her pyjamas, slumped face first on the couch. Though she couldn't see him, and was not sure where exactly he was standing, she lifted a hand and flicked it back and forth in a feeble wave before letting it drop beside her head.

"Morning, Steve," her voice was muffled by the cushion her face was pressed against.

She heard him chuckle and the refrigerator being pulled open. She pushed herself in to a seated position, pulling a blanket from the back of the couch and draping it over her pyjama-clad legs and reaching blindly for her coffee mug, grabbing it on the third attempt. Her bagel had cooled to her preferred temperature and she devoured it, washing it down with the still too hot liquid. It burned but she was already feeling the effects. She groaned once more.

"How's the renovations coming along?"

Anna looked up at the man as he took a seat on the couch opposite her, a glass of orange juice and a bowl of fruit placed on the coffee table in front of him. His hair was damp, most likely from showering after his early morning workout, and he was already dressed for the day. She took a moment to appreciate his physique; broad shoulders, shirt stretched tight across his muscles, perfectly outlining his chiselled chest. It was every women's dream. She was only human… but it would not do her any good if she was found to be openly admiring the body of Captain America.

She thought back to his question. "Horrible," she muttered.

Steve sipped his juice with a raised eyebrow, clearly not believing her. "Really?"

Anna looked at him before rolling her eyes. "No, it's coming along fine," she sighed, throwing her head back against the cushions, coffee mug resting on her chest, threatening to tilt over with every breath. "It's just loud and dusty and I just want to sleep without worrying about what time the builders are coming in and if they'll be done in time for Sam to arrive."

"They will be," Steve assured her. She turned her head to him, watching him again. He waved a hand at her, throwing a grape in his mouth. "They're employed by Tony; they have no choice but to be done in time."

Anna considered this. She knew he was right, and both Tony and Pepper, and the lead contractor, had made it clear to her that the work would long be finished in time for Sam to fly in. It didn't help her at the moment though. Her sleep was constantly disturbed and waking up every morning to a sheet of dust layering the floor wasn't desirable. She had put up with it fairly well in her opinion… until they'd ripped out her kitchen. She groaned again, draining the remainder of her coffee before discarding the mug and burrowing beneath the blanket covering her, much to Steve's amusement.

He chuckled lightly at her. "You used to sleep in a guest room on Tony's floor when you stayed before, right?"

Anna peaked at him, nodding. "I did."

"Why don't you ask if it's possible to sleep in there now?"

Anna bit her lip. He most certainly had a point; one she had thought of many times herself. She continued to weigh the pros and cons of subjecting herself to further mental scarring and, shaking her head, decided she couldn't put herself through that willingly.

"Because I know what them two are like when they're celebrating," Anna told Steve, watching closely for the exact moment he realises what she's talking about. By the look on his face – he didn't. Anna supressed a grin. "They may have been engaged for a month but they're not slowing down anytime soon."

"I…" Anna openly laughed at the look on Steve's face now, and the blush creeping up his neck and spreading across his cheeks. He ducked his head, muttering. "…did not need to know that."

"Sorry," Anna said, still laughing.

"Look," Steve said, popping the last of the contents of his bowl in his mouth, the half-finished glass of juice in his hand. "I'm going to be away for the next week for SHIELD. I leave tonight. You can use my floor."

Anna stared at him. Given that she hadn't known any of the Avengers for very long, the idea of asking one of them if she could crash on their floor for a few nights had not once crossed her mind. Anna bit her lip. Part of her seriously wanted to consider his offer when the other wanted to straight up tell him know. She barely knew the man, not to mention the grief she'd get from Tony if she did accept. She also knew that every inhabitant of the tower valued their privacy, and she wasn't about to invade that.

"But it's your floor," she said, feeling the need to point out the obvious.

Steve rolled his eyes at her, downing his drink. "I'm not saying you have to sleep in my bed or even accept – it's just a suggestion," he said, words tumbling out. Anna smiled softly at him. He disappeared into the kitchen with his glass and bowl, coming back empty handed. "My couch is pretty big, and very comfy. It would give you a week of uninterrupted sleep at least."

"That does sound amazing," Anna said. She took a moment to seriously consider his offer. He wouldn't be there, so she wouldn't technically be imposing on him while she was there… and it would likely only be a few days at most, hopefully she'd have her floor liveable again by the time he got back. She bit her lip again… he was offering… "Are you sure? I don't want to impose."

"I'm offering, and I insist." Steve gave her a bright smile before tilting his head to the ceiling. "JARVIS?"

"Yes, Captain Rogers?"

"Give Anna complete access to my floor."

"Granted." Anna's eyes widened as JARVIS confirmed the command. She now had access to Steve's floor."Miss Cooper, when you next visit Captain Rogers' floor, simply place your palm against the scanner and you be able to access indefinitely."

"Thank you, J," Anna said softly, looking up at the ceiling. She discarded the blanket and heaved herself up from the couch, moving over to Steve and wrapping her arms round his waist. He froze for a moment, before relaxing under her touch and returning the hug. "Thank you, Steve."

"Not a problem," he said. She smirked slightly at the faint blush on his cheeks but didn't say anything. Steve cleared his throat and stepped back. "Your floor should be completely done by the time I get back anyway, shouldn't it?"

"In theory," she agreed. Anna returned to her place on the couch, throwing the blanket over her legs once more. She rubbed her eyes before continuing. "They only have another four days contracted on it, but I know Dad's been slipping more ideas to them." She rolled her eyes, waving her hand. "He wants to add a fourth bedroom, second study and another two bathrooms. Me and Sam don't need all that. All we needed was a second bedroom with an en-suite."

Steve nodded along with her, listening to everything she was saying. He considered her words for a moment. "I thought you decided on three bedrooms in case your Godmother wished to visit?"

"True, I forgot about that," Anna said, nodding. She sighed. "Still doesn't mean I need a fourth bedroom built on to my floor."

"But it's Tony – he goes over the top with everything."

Steve had a point. What more did she really expect from her dad? She knew he only wanted to do it to make her happy and comfortable – Sam to – but it was wildly unnecessary to adopt all the modifications he had planned. A Sharp ringing snapped Anna from her thoughts in time to see Steve pull his phone from his pocket, checking the caller ID. He sighed, holding up the phone. "I need to take this."

"Go ahead." Anna waved him away, watched as he moved to the kitchen to take his call. She noticed Clint making his way over, having just come from the elevator. She gave him a tired smile. "Hey, Clint."

"Morning," he said, coming to a stop and leaning on the couch behind her. He leant forward so their heads were close together. "You might want to run upstairs and stop Tony from giving the builders any more work to do – I heard him mention something about extending your floor to the one below as well?"

"For the love of – JARVIS," she growled, jumping up, letting the blanket fall to the floor. Leaving Clint standing alone at the couch laughing at her, she stalked towards the elevator he'd appeared from. "Tell Tony I'm taking over the renovations to my floor."

JARVIS responded, as amused as an AI could be. "As you wish."

As it turned out, the contractors spent an additional eight days on top of the contracted four for them to finish the renovations Tony kept commissioning. Steve had returned from his weekend away, walking straight into a full-blown argument between Anna and Tony, with Pepper trying - and failing - to act as a buffer (she may or may not have been stifling laughter at the sight of Tony being backed into a corner by Anna). Clint and Natasha, along with Bruce, stood on the side lines watching with amusement at the man getting berated by his daughter (and looking increasingly guilty at each correct statement she made). The whole thing had ended when Steve had had to intervene once Anna started throwing blueberries directly at Tony's head. He'd taken her gently by the arms and led her away, telling her she'd be fine to remain on his floor until everything was sorted. She'd sent Tony a last scathing look before allowing herself to be herded into the elevator. The doors had closed on them witnessing Pepper scolding Tony and making him pick up the wasted fruit.

Anna had proceeded to refuse to speak to Tony for a full day, only resuming to do so once he'd apologised and begged for her forgiveness. Now, the two of them stood on the threshold to her floor, staring at the finished main room. It could not have been more to Anna's taste if she'd done it herself. The walls were painted in soft pastel tones while the floor was a light hardwood littered with darker brown rugs. The living and dining rooms along with the kitchen were open plan. She, too, had the floor length windows that lined the tower, but the painted walls housed canvases of all different sizes. Some showed Anna as a child with her mother, moving through the years until they no longer feature her, but Tony and Pepper. There were blank spaces which Tony informed her were for Sam should he decide to add any of his own.

"Well, what do you think?"

Anna took her focus off the image of her mom and Alans wedding to lock eyes with Tony. He was smiling softly at her, though she could see in his eyes that he was worrying about her reaction. He returned his smile, leaning into him slightly. Tony wrapped an arm round her shoulders, pulling her close to him.

"It's lovely, far better than I would have done myself," Anna said with a sigh. She gave the space in front of her another once over, letting her eyes roam and settle on the windows. The sun outside was bright but the glass stopped the glare from being too harsh. She looked up at Tony, giving him a playful roll of her eyes. "But you went way overboard."

"What can I say," Tony said with a laugh, kissing the top of her head and releasing his hold of her. He moved further into the room, spreading his arms out and turning slowly on the spot. "I can't control myself."

Anna silently agreed. Every single one of them that lived in the tower was very well taken care of. They wanted for nothing. Each of their respective floors were kitted out to suit them perfectly and no two were the same. Everyone had full access to the communal floor, landing pad and Tony even footed their grocery bill and took care of their dry-cleaning. The only thing they (apart from Anna) didn't have access to was his private lab and personal floor. It was fair. Anna honestly expected no less from him and she could only imagine what her and Sam's bedrooms would be like. She was inspecting the contents of the kitchen when Tony spoke again.

"You'll both have so much more room to yourselves though, and, regardless of whether I want to think about you ever having a boyfriend again," he visibly shuddered, and Anna couldn't help but laugh at him, earning herself a scowl. "You'll be able to have more space to keep that part private – Sam to."

Anna looked at him arms crossed; eyebrow raised. "You've managed to cram two, two-bedroom apartments in here."

"Don't be so dramatic;" Tony said, rolling his eyes and waving his hand. "There's only one kitchen and one access point."

"But three bathrooms, two studies, a mini gym and an entertainment room to fit twenty."

"Details," Tony said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. He rolled his eyes at her unimpressed stare. "I don't regret my decision, and neither will you - eventually."

Anna rolled her eyes but sighed with a smile. "Thank you, really." She moved over to Tony and wrapped her arms round him. He held her just a tight. "You didn't have to do all this but thank you."

They released each other after a minute and Anna went to explore the rest of her floor. She marvelled in the precise details Tony had chosen. He'd kitted each of their studies out to their individual needs and restored her bedroom to how it was before. Upon inspecting Sam's room, she found it relatively bare. There was a bed, a dresser and an identical walk in closet as hers but that was it. A note was placed on the bed along with one of Tony's credit cards and Anna shook her head with a laugh. She didn't even need to read the note to know Tony had given her friend an unlimited budget to buy what he pleased.

"What time's he getting in?"

Anna jumped ever so slightly, not realising Tony had followed her. She held up the note and the card, but Tony only shrugged at her as though it was nothing. Anna sighed, but knew there would be no point in telling him it was too much – he wouldn't listen. "Plane lands at seven tomorrow morning," she said, gesturing for Tony to follow her out, closing the door behind them. They made their way towards the elevator as she checked her phone, scrolling through her messages until she found her discussion with Sam about his flight. "I think he'll get here about nine, possibly ten with traffic."

Tony nodded along, pulling out his own phone. "I'll have Happy pick him up."

Anna shook her head. They stepped into the elevator, JARVIS immediately taking them to the communal floor without prompt. "You don't have to do that."

"I insist," Tony said, putting his phone away. He lent against the steel wall; arms crossed. "Happy won't mind. He lives for driving."

Anna felt bad. She didn't think it was fair on Happy to run around after everyone, picking different people up and dropping them off here, there and everywhere. Though, when she thought about it, he was never truly annoyed when asked to chauffeur and it was technically in his official job description. Annabelle sighed internally and nodded to Tony, who grinned at her.

"What's your plans for tonight?"

Anna shrugged at him. "No idea. There's nothing I need to get ready, and I've finished all my laundry." Aside from working at the community centre, at that currant moment in time she didn't have anything else to occupy her time. While waiting for her floor to be finished she'd completed all her personal chores and done her share of the household chores. "Pretty sure I'll be bored for the rest of the night."

"You can always come to my meeting with me."

Both father and daughter spun round to look at Pepper. Neither had realised that they'd reached the communal floor – JARVIS having neglected to tell them. The woman was standing before them, Starkpad and phone in hand, smiling at the both of them.

"You want me to come to an SI meeting?" Anna said slowly, tilting her head at Pepper – who nodded. "But I don't work for the company."

"No," Pepper agreed, rolling her eyes and tapping something out on her phone before slipping it into her pocket. "But you never know, one day you might." Anna made to protest but stopped when Pepper placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not saying you have to, or that we'll push you in to a job, but it might be useful for you in the future, with any job you have."

Anna bit her lip. Pepper offering her the chance to tag along felt completely different to every other time her possible future in the company was mentioned. Those times she felt like she was being forced to accept, slightly tense atmospheres being created when she declined. This time however she was being presented with an opportunity without commitment. Pepper wasn't brilliant at what she did for nothing. Anna glanced at her future step-mother – who was tapping away on her phone again with a smirk playing on her lips. Anna rolled her eyes; the woman knew exactly what she was doing when she asked her to join the meeting, more so when she specifically said she could apply the experience to any job in the future. She would have known Anna would find it difficult to say no.

Anna sighed, contemplating one last time everything that had run through her head in the last two minutes. She rolled her eyes before eyeing the woman in front of her. "Would I be expected to do anything?"

Peppers phoned beeped as she shook her head. "No, not really; it's just a dinner to discuss the proposals they keep sending over." Pepper, with a smirk on her face, paused briefly to tap something into her phone before slipping it back away. "Not that there's much to discuss – I'm turning them down either way. Honestly, you'd only have to sit there and listen in. Take a few notes if you want to but I'm not expecting you to have any input."

Anna nodded, taking it all in. It really didn't sound so bad, sitting there and doing nothing she could handle, taking notes she could do if she wanted to… she'd been good at minute taking in her high school debate club before she'd moved to California, a skilled she'd adapted and used a few times in her life. "I think I can manage that."

Pepper nodded in agreement. She busied herself with her phone once more before briefly glancing at Anna's current attire, giving her the once over. "You'd have to dress formally."

Anna glanced down at what she was wearing – a tank top and cotton shorts. She didn't take offence though; she was basically in her pyjamas. She'd hadn't yet had reason to change for the day, nothing important being on her agenda… and sometimes she just enjoyed having a pyjama day, though she didn't make a habit of it, routine and all.

She cocked her head at Pepper. "When you say formal…"

"Business formal." Pepper gestured at her own clothes.

Anna cast her eyes over Pepper. She was dressed in a crisp white blouse and watching white pencil skirt. Anna let her eyes drift down to the woman's feet before her eyes bulged. "Are you expecting me to wear heels?"

"Yes," Pepper said, but the tone of her voice was teasing. "But only if you'd be comfortable in them. I know you've got a very nice and respectable pair of 3 inches in your closest."

Anna snorted. "Of course you know I have them; you bought them for me!"

Pepper grinned at her. Anna smiled back and then looked to Tony, who had been standing silently watching the two of them the whole time. "Dad, what do you think?"

Tony thought for a moment, before nodding to Pepper. "I think Pepper's right; it would be a good opportunity." Anna smiled at him, but her look turned sour when he wrapped an arm round her shoulders and said, "You may not want to work for SI now but one day it will be your company."

A look of horror at the thought of one day owning Stark Industries washed over her. "What!"

"Come on, sweetpea," Tony said, shaking her lightly. "I have to leave it to someone when I become too good for this world." He spoke as if it was the obvious thing in the world. He rolled her eyes at her." Who did you think I'd leave it to?"

"I don't know," Anna spluttered, shaking her head. "Rhodey's nephew?"

"Funny, Anna." Tony glared at her. "Funny."

Anna gaped at him. She was at a genuine loss for words. She supposed in was painfully obvious, now she thought about it, that the company would one day find its way into her hands but seeing as the words had never specifically been said aloud, she'd not actually expected it to happen. Besides – the only reason the company would be placed in her hands was one she most certainly did not wish to think about. She narrowed her eyes at Tony, so much so that they became mere slits, but the man only shrugged at her, standing now with his hands push deep in his pockets. She groaned and threw her head back, feeling ganged up on and slightly overwhelmed. She knew the experience would be good for her, the best she would ever get, and she was well aware she did not possess a good enough excuse to say no. She growled at both of them.

"Fine, I'll go."

"Great!" Pepper smiled brightly, eyes sparkling in triumph as she checked her watch. "Be ready to meet me here in an hour to leave."

"An hour!"

Anna all but screamed at Pepper before turning on her heel and rushing off to the stairs – no doubt heading straight for her bedroom. Tony snorted as he held Pepper close in his arms and watched his daughter disappear.

"Does she really only have an hour?" Tony asked, an air of scepticism in his voice."

"Technically, she had two," Pepper said with a laugh, pulling Tony in for a deep kiss. "But you know how I like to be organised."

Once Anna realised she had, in fact, two hours to get ready rather than one, she allowed herself a moment to think. She was going to her first ever official Stark Industries meeting in a matter of hours and she felt in no way prepared. As she showered and thoroughly washed her hair, she tried to make a mental checklist of everything she should and shouldn't do… but her mind had suddenly gone blank. She knew the basic dos and don'ts, her breeding wasn't awful, and she'd had interviews before and attended meetings at school and college for debate and school council, but never anything to this standard. She allowed herself ten minutes as she dried off to freak out, but the remainder of the time she spent actually getting ready. Four outfit changes (she'd finally settled on a cream pencil skirt and matching blouse) and almost a whole pack of make-up remover wipes (she was no expert, and after multiple YouTube videos later she had an acceptable layer on her face), she had slipped on the heels Pepper had suggested, grabbed her jacket and headed down to meet the woman. Pepper gave her a once over as soon as she laid eyes on her, and to Anna's immense relief, gave her a nod of approval. The both of them bade goodbye to Tony, who wished them luck and proclaimed her would be spending the evening in the lab.

In the elevator and the car, Pepper gave her pointers of what to expect. She ran through every aspect of how meetings like these normally go (both parties arrive, small talk made over their starters, whilst business is discussed over the main course – meetings seldom made it to dessert and if they did it was only because Pepper found the company enjoyable. Pepper made it clear to Anna though, that she only expected her to sit and listen in – nothing more. If she wanted to have some input she could, but if she had nothing to say that would be fine to. Anna doubted she would have anything other than a polite hello to say.

Happy pulled up outside a very fancy, very expensive (though it would be mere pocket change by the size of Tony's bank account) French restaurant. Pepper placed her hand in Anna's, giving it a squeeze before climbing out the door Happy had opened. Anna followed after a few seconds. Happy told Pepper he would be out front the moment she needed him, gave Anna a pat on the shoulder before getting back in the car and driving away. The two women entered the restaurant and were instantly shown to a private table at the back. It was completely separate from the rest and set for three people, two one side and one the other. Anna knew where she would be sitting.

Pepper explained to her that Frederick Garnett was already late, that she always set up meetings where she was the last to arrive and the first to leave, and that today was arranged no different. Pepper told Anna that they would be eating regardless and wasted no time in ordering a bottle of wine between them and soup for starters. Pepper handed Anna the proposal from Garnett Enterprises to read through, holding out a pen after a few minutes when she started noticing the countless flaws within the first few pages. Anna found it a pleasure to discuss the proposal with Pepper, the woman easily explaining anything Anna didn't understand. Starters came and went, and as they waited for their main course, Anna jotted down notes along the sides of the papers and underlined certain things and putting question marks next to others. Pepper nodded her approval after looking over Anna's shoulder to see what she had written.

Almost an hour after the were originally supposed to meet, Frederick Garnett strolled over, barking his order to the closest waiter. Anna glanced at Pepper to see her reaction, but the woman had her face set, her displeasure displayed in full view.

"Damn assistant gave me the wrong time; can you believe that?"

Anna and Pepper exchanged a look. Not only had he failed to properly introduced himself to either of them after being an hour late, he hadn't even apologised for being so! Pepper discretely rolled her eyes and took a sip of her wine, placing it back down and all but ignoring Mr Garnett in favour of straightening the napkin draped across her lap. Anna noticed that Mr Garnett had opted to straightaway order a main course and she was immensely pleased that they wouldn't have to endure sitting through him having a starter as well. Anna saw him eye the papers on the table and narrow his eyes at all her markings (which were in red no less, because Pepper loves points to be made and red makes things so much more obvious). Anna tried to pay him no mind as his food arrived and he wasted no time in digging in… none to gracefully either. She'd never met the man before and didn't know all that much about him but something about him made her feel uneasy… and she wasn't quite sure what.

Pepper was sitting close enough to Anna to be able to reached under the table and squeeze her knee, signalling she was about to get the meeting underway. Anna mentally prepared herself to sit back and watch, sliding the papers over so they were now directly in front of Pepper. Pepper cleared her throat.

"Mr Garnett –"

"Please," he said, cutting Pepper off. She pursed her lips; detesting being cut off. "Call me Frederick. I insist."

Anna took a sip of her own drink. She knew the look in Peppers eye and knew now was not the time to aggravate her. Garnett was doing just that. He was leaning back in his chair, ankle crossed over knee, making himself comfortable… like he owned the place. Anna was not a violent person, but Garnett's' attitude really made her want to punch him.

"Frederick then," Pepper said tightly, but she kept her tone firm and polite. He gave her a curt nod. "The proposal you sent, and the many before that do look promising, but -"

"Well, I have been trying for quite some time Ms, Potts." Garnett cut Pepper off once more and Anna glanced sideways in time to see her roll her tongue over her teeth. Anna bit her lip – the tension at the table was making her feel very uncomfortable as Garnett ploughed on. "Stark Industries has, in the past, been notoriously difficult to partner with, not to mention offer investments. I'm exceptionally happy you've decided to -"

"Mr Garnett." It was Peppers turn to cut him off, voice raised ever so slightly, making it clear it was her turn to speak. Garnett didn't take too kindly to being interrupted, even though he'd done it twice himself. His eyes narrowed and his mouth set into a thin line, but he did remain silent. It was her turn to give him a curt nod. "Forgive me, but you must allow me to finish. I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline."

"And why, may I ask," he said through gritted teeth. Was that steam coming out his ears? Anna was sure it was. "Why are you going to have to do that?"

"You have to understand," Pepper said firmly, leaving no room for dispute. "Whilst the abundance of proposals do have a certain promise; there are aspects that show to be quite worrying."

Anna loved watched Pepper work. The way she held herself, the way she spoke, never faltering under the man's glare. She was not regretting tagging along in the slightest. Anna had to cover the building laugh in the back of her throat by taking another sip of her drink, Garnett was fuming as he again spoke through gritted teeth.

"Which are?"

"Your weapons division."

Two sets of eye rounded on Anna. She hadn't meant to speak, hadn't meant to jump in front and speak ahead of Pepper. She was only supposed to be watching! She worried for a moment that Pepper wouldn't be happy, that she wouldn't take being spoken for by someone not directly involved but upon catching sight of the amused, teasing smile Pepper sent her way she knew she was fine. The smile was very brief before the woman schooled her features, simply staring at Garnett.

"Ah," he said, a so painfully obvious fake smile plastered on his face. She was well aware by his demeanour that he did not appreciate her presence one little bit. She found she didn't care – one little bit. "The daughter speaks."

"Yes, she does," Anna said brightly. A lesson she'd learnt from living with Tony was that if someone made you feel uncomfortable – make them feel the same right back. Pepper snorted beside her and Anna shot her a look, scandalised. Never had she known Pepper to be so unprofessional! Pepper just shrugged and gestured for her to continue, effectively giving her the floor, letting her take the lead from here. Anna suddenly felt nervous but that seemed to dissipate the instant she locked eyes with the man. She grinned at Pepper, giving her a node before she pulled the stack of papers back towards her, turning to the page that was highlighted in its entirety in red. She kept her gaze planted firmly on the papers before her. "As CEO, Ms Potts and her team, along with the board of directors and the heads of all departments, has to regard each and every proposal accordingly to decide whether or not it will work for the company, or harm it. That's easily thirty to forty people, probably even more that all agree.

"As you know, Stark Industries removed itself from weapons manufacturing and rid itself of the department entirely, well over six years. SI, after a fashion, gained favour in doing so, becoming one – if not the – biggest, successful," she spared him a brief, pointed glance, "technological companies to not distribute weapons. It's something we gained immense respect for, something to be proud of. Both Ms Potts and my father have worked tirelessly for over half a decade to make the company what it is today, and Stark Industries has a new meaning."

Anna looked at him properly now, having placed all the papers back in order and had her hands clasped tightly on top of them. She tilted her head at him, as she would a child when explain something difficult, and spoke sweetly though with a dangerous tone of finality she wasn't aware she possessed. "Surely, a man in your position can understand how it would not be in our best interests to start involving ourselves with a company that is," she paused briefly, giving him another pointed look, "very open with its weapons manufacturing?"

"You make a very fair point, Miss Cooper," he said stiffly. Anna raised an eyebrow. "Please forgive me for my comments; I meant no offence and it was not my place to make such judgement."

"You're – forgiven." Anna glanced at Pepper, finding her sharing the same look of disbelief at what had just transpired, albeit more discretely, having had years more practice at hiding her emotions when she wanted to. Garnett had shown earlier in the evening that he was not the type to say sorry or admit when he was wrong. Anna doubted that he was sincere (was ninety-nine percent sure he was lying through his teeth) but opted not to mention anything. The look on Pepper's face (hidden behind the mask Anna could see through) told her that even a fake apology was rare when it came to this man. She'd take it, if only so they could end the evening. She did feel she should hammer her point home, though, just to make her feel better – she was her father's daughter after all. "In future, please respect the views of, not only SI, but any other company you have interest in working with. It's not something taken lightly."

You could hear a pin drop. Anna herself was amazed (slightly mortified, but knew she'd get a high-five from Tony later out of it) at how bold she was being. She was never one for confrontation and though she was rather enjoying herself right now, she couldn't see herself doing this sort of thing over and over again. Pepper and her dad had been right, though – the experience itself was worth it. Pepper squeezed her knew again, tapping it lightly. Anna took that to mean she would be putting an end to the meeting and they could finally go home. Garnett suddenly cleared his throat. Anna worried for a moment that he was about to start shouting, rattling off that it was none of her business and she should mind her own (if the look on his face was anything to go by). She had nothing to worry about, however, because he point blank ignored her.

"Ms Potts, I apologise. I should have considered my companies role in weapons dealing when proposing a deal with you." Anna focused all her attention on Pepper to see her response. With all eyes on her, Pepper showed little to no reaction, merely giving Garnett a nod, but Anna knew her well enough to know that she was deeply shocked at the man's change in attitude. His apology to Pepper was minutely more genuine than his one to her, but it was still fake as hell. He continued to speak tightly. "Thank you for giving me your evening, both of you, and I truly do understand why you will not be accepting."

Understand? Yes. Happy about it? No. He was pissed, anyone could see that. He'd probably spend the next week or so slating their names. Pepper knocked her out of her silent musings by standing up. The papers that had previously been laid out on the table had all of a sudden disappear, packed back away neatly inside Peppers briefcase. Pepper cleared her throat.

"Thank you," she said, side-stepping round her chair once more, Anna joining her. Garnett did not stand, nor did he offer either of them his hand. "I'm afraid we will have to be going now."

"Of course," he said, leaning back in his chair once more and signalling at a passing waiter. "It was very nice to meet the both of you."

Lair. Anna wanted to scoff but held herself together. Pepper seemed to be having to do the same thing.

"Likewise," Pepper said curtly, giving the man a nod before leading her and Anna away from their table and out of the restaurant. Happy was waiting for them, standing holding the car door open. Either the man had circled round and parked outside again, or Pepper had summoned him without her realising. She didn't recall Pepper having her phone out at any point, but then again Pepper sometimes seemed to have mysterious powers. As soon as they were both safe in the car, Happy got in and started the drive back to the tower. Both women melted into their seats the further away they got, relaxing now they were away from prying eyes. Anna went so far as kicking off her shoes slipping her feet into the converses she'd positioned in the car for this very moment. She let out a low groan as her feet flattened back into a natural shape, earning a laugh from the two other occupants of the car. She ignored them. Pepper didn't relax quite as much, but she did twist round to face Anna as much as the seatbelt she was wearing would allow. "Well, that was… interesting."

Anna groaned again, the events of the evening washing over her. She shot Pepper an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry for cutting in like that," she said, biting her lip. "But I could just see the steam coming out of his ears when you told him no."

"Anna," Pepper said slowly, her eyes wide. "You did brilliantly."

Anna looked at her, unsure whether or not she was to be believed. "I did?"

"Yes!" Pepper shouted, throwing her hands in the air. Anna jumped, holding her hand against her chest to quell her beating heart. Happy, to his credit, kept his attention on the road ahead and didn't react, though she caught him throwing a disapproving glance at Pepper. She scowled at the woman, but Pepper was grinning, too happy to care. "You shut him down, put him in his place and made him apologise – regardless of whether it was reluctant, fake or forced - without argument. Tony will be proud, as am I."

Warmth spread through her at Pepper's words, but although she had encouraged her at the time, in the back of her mind, Anna still worried she'd overstepped her mark, spoken when she shouldn't of. Pepper had been dealing with things like this for years, was well versed with handling herself, completely on her own, without tag-alongs jumping in. Anna frowned at her. "You don't think I spoke out of turn?"

"Absolutely not." Pepper reached over and took one of Anna's hands in her own, giving it a squeeze. She spoke firmly, running her thumb reassuringly over Anna's knuckles. "Anna, you spoke as if you'd worked for the company for years, as if you owned it."

Anna was suddenly reminded why Pepper was more often than not described as a fierce woman. She spoke with passion, determination, with heat and purpose, a fire burning behind her eyes. Anna knew she meant every single word. Peppers face was alight with glee; her smile genuine. She gripped her hand tighter. "You'd barely had time to skim through the paperwork, and even then you were only doing it whilst we were waiting for the food." Anna had to admit she had a very good point. She'd never looked at any document pertaining to SI before, much less made annotations to one – and there were a lot she made on this one… a surprising amount given that it was written by the CEO himself and not an amateur department head from an unknown company.

Pepper sighed. "Men like Garnett don't like being told no, they never do. At the end of the day, his proposal was being refused regardless; whether you did it or I, he wasn't going home with what he wanted. You managed to placate him while letting him down firmly in a way that offered no room on negotiations on the outcome." Another squeeze of her hand. "It's more that what people with years of experience are able to achieve with such little notice."

"Wow…" Anna whispered, staring past Pepper and out the window. She was finally starting to realise why Pepper was so proud. She bit her lip, letting out a small laugh. "Imagine what could happen if I did work for the company."

"Yes, imagine."

Something in the air shifted between them and Anna couldn't tell why… though she had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with their current line of conversation. She caught Happy's eye in the wing mirror, but he only shrugged at her and focused back on the road. She narrowed her eyes at Pepper, doubting very much that she would like what she was about to hear. "What -."

"How would like to be my personal assistant?"

Silence. Anna had not been expecting that. The slight swerve of the car told her Happy had not been expecting that. the sudden widening of Pepper's eyes told her that the woman herself had not been expecting to come out with that. A part of Anna (a very very small part) had thought there would finally be a reprimand, regardless of how Pepper had been singing her praises, but straight up offering her the position of personal assistant? That had definitely not been on her radar. She stared at Pepper, dumfounded… Pepper stared back equally so. Anna glanced over the front passenger seat, noting that they had at least another ten minutes until they reached the tower, given where they were and the amount of traffic in front of them. She leaned back in her seat.

"I… what?" she asked stupidly. She knew she hadn't misheard, had heard her correctly and there was no real need for clarification. Her eyes widened and she rounded on Pepper, pointing a finger at her accusingly. "What happened to Carl? You loved Carl! Please don't tell me you're gonna fire him just to give me a job!"

"No, Anna; I am not firing Carl for the sole benefit of having you work for me." Pepper rolled her eyes, shooting Anna an unimpressed look. Anna simply stared back, wating. Pepper sighed. "You are right though; I do love Carl, he's one of the best assistants I've had. I'm honestly dreading when he leaves but he officially handed in his notice last week because his wife is having to move home to Ohio within the next month or so and he's – quite rightly – chosen to move with her. They're newly married and just found out she's expecting so I don't blame him, even told him not to even think about long distance – that wouldn't be fair on anyone." Pepper sighed again but smiled at her. "I need someone o can trust, and I trust you. I think you could keep up with the workload, and we could negotiate a contract to suit you specifically. What so you say?"

"I…"

It was a lot for Anna to take in. knowing that someone wasn't getting turfed out od the job just for her made the proposition a little less daunting, but only a little. This was something Anna would have to really think about and consider, not just rush to accept or decline. It would be a very hard decision for her to make. She'd always been adamant that she wouldn't work for the company… but could she really refuse when it was being offered to her like this? She conflicted to say the least. The offer was legitimate; Pepper had only out it on the table after seeing her work and the woman did just let anyone have that position, they had to earn it. Neither she nor Tony had asked her outright to join the company before, merely expressing that the option was there if she wanted it. Pepper was giving her the chance to actively refuse. She bit her lip again.

"Wow… this is a lot to think about. Happy?" she called, feeling the need to garner his input. He was fairly neural… either wanting the best for everyone or choosing not to involve himself at all, but Tony and Pepper always trusted his judgement, she did to. "What do you think?"

Happy caught her eye briefly, giving her a small smile before adverting hid gaze back to the road. She watched him nod to himself before he spoke. "I think it's a great opportunity, and Tony would wholeheartedly agree." Anna felt her shoulders start to sag. She wondered whether she should take that as an indication of what her answer should be. "Definitely not something that comes around to just anyone, but," he said, catching her eye once more. "You need to give it a lot of thought, really think about it. Don't rush into a decision you may regret just because Pepper's the one offering it to you, really think whether it's the right thing for you,"

"Thank you, Happy." She knew asking him would be a good idea, he was always diplomatic with his reasoning. He nodded but didn't look her way again. She took this to mean he'd done his bit and would no longer be contributing to the conversation. This wasn't something she could decide on before they reached home; she would have to spend more time weighing up the pro and cons. She look at Pepper, hoping? "Can I think about it? I don't want to make a rash decision; I actually want to think about it."

"I can give you a few days," Pepper said with a nod after thinking about it for a moment. "But that's all I can give you. I'll have to keep the position open if you say no and to find someone in time for Carl to leave, I'll have to start looking no later than next week."

"Okay." That was fair; Pepper couldn't keep waiting indefinitely. A few days should give her enough time to gather her thoughts. Should. She nodded to Pepper. "I'll think about it and get back to you."

"Good," Pepper said before groaning and letting her head fall back against her seat. "God, I just want to relax."

Anna hummed her agreement. "You should take a nice hot bubble bath. That's exactly what I plan to do."

"I'd love to, but I just don't have the time tonight." Anna eyed her in confusion. Pepper sighed. "I'm going to have to shower and change into something comfy because I'll have to spend the next two or three hours working on contracts that need to be signed off."

Anna stared at her incredulously. "But it's nearly nine already!"

"And sometimes my days never seem to end, Anna. Bane of being the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company," Pepper said tiredly, smiling at her. Anna herself felt exhausted., she could only imagine how much worse it was for Pepper. Happy pulled into the private, underground parking garage of the tower, both women exiting the car once it was in park. They bid Happy goodnight and started the short walk to their elevator. Anna made to comment on Peppers workload, but the woman cut her off with a raised hand. "If I thought I couldn't handle it, I'd pass the reins back to your father… or just withhold certain things until he started to do his fair chare in his company again."

"And I did not need to hear that," Anna said with a groan, scrunching her nose up in disgust as Pepper laughed at her reaction. "Thanks, Pep.

Anna couldn't help but join in laughing with Pepper, even if it was at her expense, as they passed Tony's exceedingly large collection of cars.

"You girls seem to have enjoyed yourselves."

Both women spun round, startled. Steve had appeared out of nowhere, coming up behind them. He was leaning casually against one of Tony's less obnoxious cars, arms folded in front of him and a grin plastered on his face.

"She's telling me things I did not need to hear, Steve," Anna broke away from Pepper and collapsed again the car next to him covering her face with her hands and faking a cry. She pointed at Pepper without looking. "Take her away."

Pepper snorted, rolling her eyes at Anna's faux petulance. "She's being dramatic." Steve barked a laugh as Pepper started laughing once more when Anna sent her a playful glare. Still smiling, Pepper motioned to Steve. "I thought you were going somewhere?"

"I was, London, to see Peggy.," Steve, giving her a gentle smile back. "I've had to reschedule my flight until tomorrow evening."

"Oh, I forgot that was this weekend," Pepper said, tilting her head at him. "How is she?"

"Not doing great, there's more bad days than good now. Her lucid days are next to none." All three of their smiles faltered at that. Anna and Pepper knew just how much Peggy Carter meant to Steve; her being the only woman he'd ever loved. Steve adverted his gaze, looking down at his shoes. "I don't think she recognises me at all now; sometimes it's like she glimpses the past and her eyes light up, but nothing comes of it."

"I'll tell Tony," Pepper said, sighing heavily. Anna knew the news would hurt Tony as much (if not more) than Steve. Peggy had been a big part of Tony's life as a child. He'd told her that although he didn't see much of her from his teens onward, they always kept in touch. The moment she was bedbound he'd started making discrete trips to London every few weeks to see her. Pepper placed her hand on his forearm. "He flew out to see her a few weeks ago, he'd want to know she was getting worse," Pepper said, giving Steve a sad smile. He nodded. They both knew Steve could never talk about Peggy to Tony. She glanced between Anna and Steve. "I'm going to head up, leave you two to it."

Anna nodded. "I'll be up in a bit." She watched Pepper walk away, stepping into the elevator instantly and disappearing behind the steel doors. She sighed, rolling her neck. She didn't realise how much she'd been holding herself up next to Pepper until the woman disappeared from her side.

"Tony said you were at a meeting with Pepper." She jumped when Steve next spoke, having all but forgotten the man was standing beside her. "How was it?"

"Enlightening," she said after a moment's thought. It was more than enlightening the more she thought about it. She remembered the conversation she'd had with Pepper in the car. The only people she really had to talk to about the proposition were biased towards her accepting and Sam was currently making his way over from England - she couldn't even get his perspective on the matter for at least another twelve hours. Steve, like Happy, was impartial. She bit her lip, leaning heavily against the car. "She offered me a job as her assistant."

"That's great!" Steve said, grinning widely at her. He smile dropped though, upon seeing she didn't seem to share his enthusiasm. He furrowed his brow. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah, I mean," she stuttered slightly, waving her hand. "People would kill for that position. Working under the Pepper Potts? She gets hundreds of applications a week regardless of the position being open or not. It's just…"

"You aren't just people." Steve spoke with understanding. "What's worrying you?"

"I never saw myself working for SI," she admitted. She sighed, picking at her nails. "Yeah, it's a great company but it's not me. I think I'd much rather work for SRF, be out there physically helping people instead of being stuck behind a computer in this building."

"So why don't you say that," Steve said, as if the answer was obvious. "See if that can happen?"

Anna gave him a soft laugh, she knew while he understood her plight about Pepper's job offer, he didn't understand seem to grasp her want to be independent. "Because I also never wanted to ask my Dad for a job." Realisation dawned on Steve, and Anna patted him lightly on the shoulder. "He'd never tell me no; he'd give me anything I wanted and more. I just didn't want to be that person that relied on Daddy."

Anna couldn't help the bitterness seeming into her voice. It had honestly surprised her how many job offers came flooding in after she'd stood out in front of the tower and announced herself as Tony's daughter. Tech companies, grocery stores, pet shops - you name it. It seemed every single company whether they be well known or unheard of wanted her on their roster.

"But you're not," Steve pointed out, looking at her in earnest. "I don't think I've seen you ask Tony for anything and if you have, it's been nothing major. You do your own work."

"Yeah," she said. "Part-time at the community center downtown." She loved her job, she really did. "And I'm pretty sure that was only offered to me after I came out as Tony Stark's daughter."

"Don't say that," Steve said, his words coming out a little sharper than she thinks he expected given by the sudden widening of his eyes. He winced but she chuckled, motioning for him to go on. "You got that on your own merit because you are kind and compassionate, exactly the kind of person they needed." He shoved himself away from the car to stand in front of her. She had to tilt her head to look him in the eyes, given that he was well over a foot taller than her. "Annabelle, no one here thinks or believes you take advantage of Tony just because of who he is and how much money he has. We've seen how you react when he spends money on you."

"It's not just about what you guys think, though," Anna countered, shaking her head. "I know you don't think that, because you see it every day, but the things people out there are still writing about me is ridiculous; about how I only came out of the woodwork because I wanted the money." She groaned, throwing her head back against the car, only to wince when she made contact. "How is it gonna look to them if I suddenly started working as the personal assistant to the CEO of Stark Industries, my Dad's company?"

"You can't live your life based on what they might think of you." He made a frustratingly good point. "You have to do what's right for you, put yourself first. Sleep on it, at least."

"You're right." His advice was pretty much the same as Happy's, and she'd already decided that Happy's perception was to be trusted. Two people telling her the same thing had to mean something, right? She smiled, punching him lightly on the arm. "Ugh, why do you have to be right?"

"It's in the job description." Steve smirked and she snorted.

They stood in silence for a moment before Anna remembered something. "Why did you have to reschedule your flight?"

Steve frowned. "SHIELD. Something – came up. I can't –"

"Talk about it," Anna finished, smiling at him.

"Yeah." Steve shook his head, sighing but he smiled at her, nudging his head towards the elevator. "Let's head up. Sam's arriving tomorrow, isn't he?"

"Mm," Anna hummed, thinking back to the conversation with Tony earlier in the day to remember. "He'll get to the tower sometime between nine and ten hopefully."

Steve nodded at the information. "Clint in particular is very interested to meet him."

Anna rolled her eyes. Clint had been making it his mission to get as much information about Sam out of her as he could, even resorting to harassing Tony about it. He had attempted to do the same to Pepper but one look from the woman had his backing out the room with a laughing Natasha leaving after him. It wasn't that she was trying to hide Sam from him, but Anna had quite enjoyed watching Clint try all different tactics to get her to talk. Everyone else knew who Sam was and what he did, but it was a mutual agreement to keep Clint in the dark. It was fun.

She rolled her eyes. "Clint isn't even here."

"Ah," Steve said as he gestured for her to enter the elevator before him, grinning. "But he and Nat will be back, sometime after lunch."

Pepper sighed in relief as soon as the elevator doors closed her off from view of Anna and Steve. She backed herself into the corner, letting her briefcase fall gently to the floor, barely stifling the groan that slipped from between her lips. She rolled her neck as she leaned against the cool steel wall, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Meeting with men like Garnett were tiresome, no matter the venue. Pepper Potts may be exceptionally good at what she does, and she may have a ninety-nine percent success rate coming out of them, but business meetings and dinners were by far not her favourite thing to do… especially with men exactly like Garnett. She had gone in there with the full expectation that he would push for the deal, to completely ignore her vies and demand the contract signed… but she had not expected Anna.

Anna who handled herself with decorum. Anna who was polite yet firm with a no-nonsense attitude that left no room for debate, an attitude that rivalled that of her own. She had acted as though she'd been with the company for years, not just sitting in on her first ever meeting and glancing over the contracts while waiting on the appetisers! Nowadays, given that she'd worked for Tony for years, lived with the man for close to a decade, very little managed to shock her… but the way Anna had taken control had.

Pepper blinked up, noting by the floor number that she had barely twenty seconds before she reached the penthouse. She sighed softly – exhaustion from a long day's work settling in her bones – before bending down to pick up her briefcase from the floor, smoothing a hand over the slight creases in her jacket as she stood up straight. She moved from the corner into the centre of the cart, counting down the seconds in her head until the elevator came to a smooth stop, the doors opening for her.

"Welcome home, Ms Potts."

Pepper smiled, stepping from the elevator and out on to the tiled floor. "Thank you, JARVIS. Is Tony home?"

"Sir is currently in hi lab with Dr Banner. Would you like me to send him up?"

"Please."

Pepper allowed herself a yawn as she made her way to the nearest couch, placing her briefcase on the coffee table and gracefully throwing her body on to the soft cushions. She reached down to unclip the straps around the ankles – kicking off her heels once they were loose. She groaned quietly as she flattened her feet against the rug. Wearing six-inch heels was her own choice – most businesswomen chose a lower heel given how much time they spent on them – but she was not most women. She'd set a standard for herself years ago, it was but one of the many things she was known for. She was not yet at the point where the ache in the balls of her feet and her ankles was enough to get her to change her style but that didn't mean she couldn't indulge in a foot massage when Pierre made his weekly visit. She smiled to herself at the thought. She let her hair out of the clip it was trapped in, running her fingers through the strands, teasing out any knots and tangles as she made a mental checklist of everything she still had to do. There were at least five contracts to go through and drafting two of her own. No rest for the CEO it would seem.

Pepper arched her back, stretching out the tension before standing. She unbuttoned her jacket, slipping it off and draping it over the back of the couch; she'd pick up all her things before heading to shower. Work could wait for a moment, at least until after she'd showered off the stress of the day. As soon as she'd spoken to Tony she could get on with her night. She moved over to the bar with the intent of pouring herself a large glass of wine. The sound of footsteps made her turn, given that she knew the pace did not belong to her fiancée. She locked eyes with a tired looking Bruce and smiled.

"Hey, Bruce."

Bruce returned her smile. "Pepper," he said, nodding at her. "How was your meeting?"

"Eventful," Pepper said. Bruce raised an eyebrow, silently asking her to continue but she shook her head and shot him a smile. "Tony come up with you?"

"He's just…" he started to say but the man in question appeared behind him, cutting him off."

"Here," he said, making straight for Pepper and giving her a kiss. "I'm right here."

Pepper pulled him back to her, forgetting Bruce was standing right in front of them as she kissed Tony deeply, running her hands up his arms and in his air. It was uncharacteristic of her to behave like this in front of other people but, well, she was only human and seeing him reminded her of why she had been in such a good mood before getting home.

They broke apart at Bruce's awkward cough, Tony throwing the man a grin and a wink before focusing his attention back to the woman in his arms. "That was some welcome; happy to see me?" Pepper pulled him into another kiss, humming her agreement against his lips. "How'd it go, the meeting?" he questioned, flashing her a smile. "Did you let him down gently or give him the ole' Potts charm?"

"Oh," Pepper said coyly, deciding to play with Tony a little and shifting out of his hold, turning her back on him. "I didn't let him down."

"Wh-what?" Tony demanded, spluttering at her in complete disbelief. Tony gaped at her, silence falling for a few seconds between the three of them. Pepper couldn't see Tony, but she saw Bruce offer the man a shrug to an unspoken question. She shot Bruce a wink, the man seemingly understanding her game and trying now to hide a smirk. Tony found his voice again, spluttering once more. "You – you went with that – that egotistical – why are you laughing!"

Pepper had fallen into a fit of laughter at Tony's tirade. Her shoulders shook and her eyes scrunched up at the passion behind his dislike for the man – a passion she shared. Bruce joined her in laughing and shook his head, patting Tony on the shoulder before reaching into the bars little fridge and pulling out Peppers favourite wine, pouring her a healthy amount into a glass and handing it to her.

"Oh Tony," she said, wiping under her eyes and taking a large sip from her glass. She raised her glass to Bruce. "Thank you; you know me so well." Bruce nodded to her, a bottle of water in his own hand, a smile still on his face. She turned to face Tony again; her was standing staring at her, gaping as he tried to work out what she meant. She took pity on him, leaning her hip against the bar as she spoke, rolling her eyes for good measure.

"I never said he wasn't let down, I just said I didn't do it."

It seemed to take Tony an astonishingly long time for him to realise what she said. She recognised the moment it clicked in his head and his eyes widen. "Anna?" Tony said slowly, like he was wondering if he'd heard right.

Pepper nodded vigorously. "Tony, she was fantastic." She placed her glass down and sat on one of the stools, leaning back against the leather and crossing her legs at the knee. She grinned, her eyes sparkling. "It was like she'd been in the business for years." The thought was true. Anna had acted as though she'd been coached and groomed to handle herself in those situations by professionals. She'd acted as though she'd had decades of experience and training, not at all like she was a twenty-three-year-old new at the game. Pepper couldn't be prouder if she tried. She leaned forward, throwing her hands in the air as though it would exaggerate her point. "He even apologised! Frederick Garnett apologised to Anna, to both of us, in one sitting! Can you believe that?"

Tony stared at her, a mixture of pure bewilderment and surprise on his face. He shook his head. "I can't actually."

"I've heard of him," Bruce said, cutting into their conversation, not that either of them minded the intrusion. "Didn't he fire his board of directors last year because they couldn't or wouldn't agree with him over the latest weapons contract?"

"Wouldn't agree, and it wasn't just the board, most of the staff were cut to." A suddenly sombre tension settled between the three. Though both Pepper and Tony knew the full extent of the ramifications of what Frederick Garnett had done, this was the first time Bruce was hearing it and the realisation of what the man had done crossed over his face. He ran a hand through his hair. Tony walked past and clapped him on the back, going to join Pepper on a bar stool. "Did almost a complete rework. Put a hell of a lot of people out of a job, some of which we took on here in the end."

"So many applications, Bruce, and even then we could only get through a fraction of them," Pepper said, shaking her head. She remembered the time well. Ever major company stepped up to take on as many people as they could, but SI had been the only one capable of accommodating the majority. It had taken weeks of co-ordinating, and not something that was acknowledged publicly. "We accommodated as many as we could, even put those willing to move in our branches around the country but we just couldn't take everyone."

Tony nodded at Pepper. "Gave them no warning. The amount of families that suffered because of it… there's a few still finding their feet but we're continuing to help them where we can."

"I…" Bruce started before trailing off, at a loss of what to say. Pepper gave him a sympathetic look, nodding."

"It was terrible turning people away," Pepper said, thinking back to that time again. "Multiple companies came forward along with us to help, but not everyone was covered. Many would say it's not our problem, but we couldn't just stand back and watch on as that many people lost their jobs."

Tony hummed in agreement while Bruce looked at them, horror lacing his features. "How – how can someone do that?"

"The man's not right," Tony said, standing and walking over to the windows, looking out at the New York skyline. "He's been getting worse over the years. Public rants, disagreements left right and centre."

Pepper glanced at Tony before focusing again on Bruce. "Rumour has it his youngest sone was killed while on tour in Afghanistan," Pepper and Bruce saw Tony tense at the mention of the place, both sharing a look before Pepper continued. "His wife committed suicide not long after, leaving just him and the eldest son, neither of whom got on particularly well with each other."

"That's," Bruce said, looking for the right word. "Rough."

Tony and Pepper hummed in agreement with him and an uneasy silence fell between them. Pepper sipped on her wine, Bruce drank from his bottle and Tony continued to stand staring out the window. Pepper knew she needed to break the melancholy tension and knew the way to do it instantaneously.

"I offered Anna a job," Pepper said suddenly. "To replace Carl when he leaves."

"And," Tony said slowly, spinning round with wide eyes. "Did she accept?"

"She said she need to think about it. I've given her a week." She recognised the hint of hope in his voice, the same hope she'd harboured in her own when she'd offered Anna the job on the spot. Though she and Tony had spoken at length about Anna's future in the company, they'd both agreed wholeheartedly that they couldn't force her if that's not what she wanted, they could give her only options. "Tony, we can't force her into the company if she doesn't want to work for it. She's her own person, and a very independent one at that."

"I know, I know," Tony said defensively, holding up his hands. He threw a look at Bruce when the man snorted at him. Pepper laughed at the two. Not that she didn't love it when all the others were there, but sometimes it was nice just being with Tony and Bruce. Tony shook his head, before tipping his head to Pepper. "Rhodey called earlier, asked if we'd set a date for the wedding yet."

Pepper sighed. If only they had. "I'd love to start planning, but with the new contracts going through and Sam coming over…" she trailed off. There was so much she had to sort through before the end of the year, she didn't know when would be a good time to start planning. It wasn't as though they had to get married right away. They'd been together long enough to know that a ring and a piece of paper wouldn't change a single thing. There was no rush. Same coming over from England and living with them would change the dynamic amongst the group and Pepper didn't particularly want to have to be planning something as important as her wedding whilst having to get used to having a practical stranger living with them – even if said stranger was a close friend of her future step-daughter. She gave Tony a soft smile. "I think we should at the very least wait until he's completely settled in with Anna before starting to plan anything."

Tony thought for a moment before nodding, walking over to lean against the back of the couch. "Agreed." Pepper watched as a lightbulb went off in his head and he made a show of looking around. She raised an eyebrow at him in question. "Where is Anna?"

"I left her downstairs talking with Steve;" Pepper finished off the last of her wine in one large gulp. She thought for a moment. "I think they're coming up together."

"I'm not sure I like how much time she spends with him."

Pepper shared a knowing look with Bruce as Tony's eyes darkened and his jaw set. "It's harmless." She rolled her eyes, smiling slightly. All she personally saw between Anna and Steve was nothing more than friendship. It was good for Anna to have someone else to talk to. She knew the young woman didn't feel she could keep in touch with many people anymore, not that she did before anyway. She'd lost contact with all her 'friends' in Boston once she'd moved in with them and wouldn't tell any of them who she was living with. A similar thing happened with people she'd met in college, no one understanding why she was so secretive about her life. Of course, all these people started trying to contact her once she'd outed herself as Tony's daughter. A few of them sent their apologies and understandings, wishing her well but the rest… well, Anna let them know exactly how she felt about them. Pepper laughed at the look on Tony's face. "Tony, stop it."

"She slept with him for almost two weeks!" Tony growled through gritted teeth.

"That's out of context and you know it," Pepper said sternly, smile gone. "He was on the couch and the first few days he wasn't even there. Besides, that was your own doing because you kept modifying her floor and extending the contractors deadline."

Tony spluttered at her and looked to Bruce for help. The man raised his hands and gave him a look that both said, 'I'm not getting involved' and 'she's got you there'. Tony rolled his eyes, grumbling. "She could have taken our spare room like she used to."

Pepper shuddered. Whilst Tony made a good and fair point, she knew Anna would rather sleep under a blanket in the elevator than share a floor with the both of them at the moment. The amount of times the poor woman had walked in on them in compromising positions since getting engaged was shocking. She honestly didn't blame her for wanting to stay away from them. She sighed. "You know full well why she wouldn't – we make her uncomfortable."

She knew by the look on Tony's face that he agreed with her, however much, he didn't want to. He pouted at her, but she only shared another look with Bruce and they both laughed at his petulance.

"But why Steve?" Tony whined, throwing himself down, face first, onto the couch."

"Why not Steve?" Pepper questioned; eyebrows raised. She heard Bruce snort quietly behind her. Rationally, she knew perfectly well that Tony had two reasons why he preferred for Anna to not spend time around the super-soldier; the first being the resentment he still held for the man. The second being the completely irrational fact that he didn't want his daughter growing close enough to him for any feelings beyond platonic to develop. Pepper found it idiotic and had no qualms in telling Tony just that. Anna was a grown woman who could think and act for herself, and though Pepper only saw them as nothing but friends, she had to admit she honestly thought the two were rather cute together… not that she'd be admitting that to Tony anytime soon. The thought of Steve brought another issue back to the forefront of her mind. She softened her tone, joining Tony on the couch, nudging him to sit up. "Which reminds me; Peggy's getting worse – deteriorating quickly by the sounds of it."

Pepper watched something in Tony's eyes break a little. Peggy Carter was a sore subject for him sometimes, especially given the last time he'd gone to see her.

Tony nodded, somewhat reserved. He spoke quietly now. I'll have to get out and see her sometime new week or the week after hopefully."

"Is this Peggy Carter?"

Pepper had almost forgotten Bruce was still with them. She threw him a nod, opening her mouth to explain but was cut off by Tony.

"Yeah," he said softly, before a sour look crossed over his face, his words coming out bitterly. "She kept calling me Howard the last time I saw her."

"She can't help it," Pepper said softly, carding her fingers through his hair.

"I know, Tony said stiffly, before deflating. "I don't blame her. How can I? She doesn't have control over her own mind anymore."

"How old is she now? Bruce asked with genuine curiosity. "She must be –"

Bruce was cut off by the sound of an almighty BOOM! Lights flickered before going out and the floor began to give way. Pepper, Tony and Bruce were thrown in opposite directions, the Hulks roar being heard over the crackling of flames.

I don't even know how long it's been. I'm sorry. Enjoy!