A Raindrop Prelude
The deep angry grey clouds above Manhattan burst open sending forth a torrential deluge of rain.
Above the sodden city streets was a tall opulent skyscraper with windows in neat rows and a giant concrete A adorning the front of the building.
In the window of an office on the 95th floor, a handsome man stood. He was watching the rain drops running their soggy paths down the window.
Tony Stark observed the scene below as tourists and New Yorkers alike scattered like sheep searching for some kind of shelter as the thunder crashed like angels bowling.
The lightning flashed as though summoned there by Thor himself.
He sighed, realising how much he missed the team. The angry words they had last spoken to each other flashed across his mind.
He glanced over his shoulder at the door of the office wishing it was 5pm instead of 11am – At 5pm he got to go upstairs to the residential floor.
The glinting reflection of a solid silver frame containing a photograph of himself and Pepper caught his eye… he sighed even louder, realising that he missed Pepper even more than he missed the team.
It was as though Pepper knew he was missing her. She opened the door of his office and entered. She was carrying a tray, containing his lunch. Even though she was the company CEO, there were times when she still thought like a personal assistant. The tray contained a bowl of his godmother's Italian Lentil soup.
Pepper's pretty face was adorned with a smile though her eyes were as stormy as the Manhattan sky outside. Her long thick red hair pulled back into a low, neat, ponytail her perfect figure dressed in a black business pantsuit with a white shirt underneath.
He returned the smile although his smile was uneasy. Then he turned away, angry tears in his eyes.
"Tony, we need to talk…" Pepper began
"Do we?" Tony spat
"Yes we do. Nat told me what happened with the team." Pepper confessed.
"Did she gloat because what she predicted has come true?" Tony growled.
"No… she's worried and upset, and she says that she doesn't want this to happen" Pepper explained
"She should have thought of that before she sided with that asinine Capsicle of hers, shouldn't she?" Tony barked unsympathetically.
"She needs to talk to you" Pepper insisted
"I'm not interested." Tony snapped
"She says it's very important that you meet her" Pepper continued
"That's not going to happen she knows that. Rogers shouldn't have lied to me." Tony concluded
"She says it's more complex than that" Pepper protested and finally, Tony had had enough.
"Look, Ms Potts, you and I aren't involved personally any more, right?"
Tony demanded "and that was your choice, not mine."
"Don't get it twisted Tony, we're on a break not broken up OK? We can and hopefully will be personally involved with each other again… I just need some space right now. You becoming a superhero, us being together, it's a lot to take in and… "
"Right. I understand all of that Pep, but my point is that presently we're nothing more than employer and employee"
"No, we're not though I consider you a friend"
"Then I would appreciate it if you kept your brilliant mind on work and off what used to be. The Avengers are no more and there's no fixing it."
That did it, Pepper got annoyed.
"Tony, listen to me very carefully OK?" She said in her 'I'm the CEO, don't argue with me' voice.
"What?" Tony snapped
"Nat says she needs to speak to you and if you don't contact her she will initiate contact and that will be far worse" said Pepper
"If Natashalie wants to contact me, she knows where to find me, and she needs to quit being an idiot about it"
"Do you want me to tell her that verbatim?"
"Yes"
There was a polite knock on the door. Pepper went to answer it.
"I thought you could use some company, so I asked Jay to come in and spend some time with you."
"Thanks Pep"
"I'll see you at the board meeting later Tony"
"All right"
Pepper retreated downstairs to her office leaving her boss and friend (for now at least) to his meeting with his adoptive brother. When she reached her office she found Nat waiting for her.
"Did you talk to him?"
"I tried to but he wouldn't listen. His exact words were 'If she wants to contact me, she knows where to find me, and she needs to quit being an idiot about it' and then he started a meeting with Jay."
"I suppose I'll have to go upstairs and tell him myself"
"I'll come with you. I want to know what happened"
The two redheads went back upstairs to Tony's office. Tony was sitting in his chair, looking sterner than Pepper had ever seen him.
She entered the key code and she and Nat stepped into Tony's office.
"All right Nat-a-sha-lie, what did you want to tell me?"
"Fury lied when he said your parents died that night in 1991." Natasha began
"WHAT?" Tony's voice was brittle with rage. Instinctively, Pepper reached for his hand.
"Explain… NOW" Tony said in a very dangerous voice, his brown eyes radiated furious anger.
"Your parents are in Wakanda. They don't know that the other is alive. When we went to Wakanda to put Bucky back into cryostasis, Nakia told me that, but she shouldn't have. Queen Ramonda was livid but Okoye and Shuri both said that you had a right to know. I said I would tell you what happened…"
"Wait, what do you mean that they don't know the other is alive?"
"Your mom doesn't know your dad survived the crash and vice versa"
"Oh…"
"Councilwoman Hawley is seething with Fury"
"No wonder, he shouldn't have lied."
"Well, exactly."