Pepper had just gotten back from another board meeting for Stark Industries when Jarvis alerted her that someone was on the line. "Who is it?"

The slightly technological voice replied, "A Winry Rockbell. She's not listed in any of my databases, but she insists she knows Mr. Stark. Shall I put her through, ma'am?"

She slipped her jacket off as she said, "Sure, put her on. I just hope it's not one of Starks' girlfriends."

A very young and enthusiastic voice sounded through the house. Clearly, she wasn't a victim of Tony's. She sounded too happy for that. "Hello, is this Mrs. Pepper Stark? I'm Winry. I've been teaching Mr. Stark about automail in return for learning about this propulsion system and…"

"Whoa, slow down." Where had Tony found this girl, she was liable to talk someone's ear off if they weren't careful. "How do you know Tony?"

So Winry laid out the whole story, starting with the explosions, going through their promise and the tutoring she'd given him. That made Pepper laugh. Tony Stark had needed help? The thought was ridiculous and somehow endearing at the same time. "And he promised to teach me his propulsion system but said he needed the original model to explain the finer details, but doesn't have it with him. Could you ship it out here so I can take it apart?"

Pepper was close to giving in, because of the girl's enthusiasm if nothing else, but there was still something she was wary of. "Why would you want to know how a weapon works?"

Suddenly the voice shifted slightly, to a more worried tone. "Well, I know someone with automail limbs, and he's always getting into fights and breaking them and coming to me needing repairs. But he never tells me anything, so I worry a lot. I was hoping that maybe if I made his some better automail that he could use to defend himself, he might not get hurt as often. Ed's such a troublemaker, always making me worry like that."

Pepper sat down on one of the couches and replied tiredly, "I know the feeling. Men just think they have to save the world. Why don't they ever think we might be able to help?"

There was a moment of silence after that, as if both women were lost in their thoughts. Then Winry spoke up again. "Probably because they don't want us to worry, or don't want to put us in danger."

Pepper scoffed. "So they think we can't handle ourselves, but they can? That is so arrogant."

The girl laughed. "Maybe. But sometimes they're right. I know I wouldn't be able to handle most of what Ed and Al have gone through."

Pepper assumed one of those names was the boy who was always breaking his prosthetics. The way she said their names sounded a lot like how Pepper felt about her errant millionaire play-boy-turned-husband. "Okay. Tell Tony I'm sending over one of the suits and to keep an eye out for it. And Winry?"

"Yes?"

"I wouldn't mind talking to you again."

"Thanks Mrs. Stark. Goodbye." Winry hung up and went to find her apprentice. Now he had no excuse not to teach her.

Sorry for the small chapters here, but this actually really hard for me to write while still keeping everyone in character, especially Tony. That said, I need all the encouragement and guidance I can get.

SO REVIEW PLEASE