The stinging in her fingers was making her cringe as she manage to escape the office, cradling her right hand to her as she checked it, there were lacerations across her palms and her fingertips, weeping red down her hand. Pepper had never been too keen on blood, and the sight of her own was making her panic, the pains in her stomach seemed to sympathise and pounded, cramping up her legs and her chest.
She would have probably made it to the bathroom undisturbed if she'd been concentrating, gaze still intent on her hands Pepper collided with two of her staff, losing her footing and landing on her ass in surprise.
"Pepper!" The slight Russian hint to her accent gave away the redhead's identity as the strawberry blonde looked up, surprised to see her and the blonde woman standing a little way behind her, her hands full of paperwork and her long hair scraped up into a ponytail on the top of her head. Since the events of Natasha's last term spent working at Stark Industries she hadn't set foot inside the building, Pepper couldn't help the smile at the sight of such a familiar face, she needed it. Pulling her knees up she tried to force herself to get up off the floor, suddenly aware of the blood on her hands again as she ignored the hand Natasha offered.
A few seconds later and she gave up, cursing herself as she forced the tiny shards of glass deeper into her skin and wiping blood across her knees. The two women above her exchanged a completely confused look before grabbing the ginger, helping her to her feet.
"Bobbi, Medical kit, in the office we just came from under the desk." The redhead muttered to the blonde, glancing at the blood on her old bosses hands. Only once the other SHIELD agent was well out of earshot did she turn on the secretary. "What happened?" Natasha asked as she righted her, taking note of the dark circles under Pepper's eyes and how pale she looked. Not daring to let go of her arm as her gaze fell downwards, pretending she was checking the other woman over as she scanned her body.
From what Agent Romanoff could see, maybe Fury had been right to demand they check on her.
"Romanoff! Morse!" Maria Hill's voice was sharp as always as it cut across the meeting room, stopping the glaring match two of SHIELDs finest agents were having across the table whilst the reason for it took no notice, far too pre-occupied pretending he didn't exist. The love triangle that had formed between the three agents was common knowledge to everyone in the system, which was why Maria was highly confused by this latest scheme of the director's, not only to send Barton and Morse on a mission together, but to send Romanoff with them? In her opinion in sounded like a suicide wish, especially to send them to Stark Industries of all places, after the trouble with the Avengers had settled she'd hoped she'd never have to have anything to do with the billionaire idiot again. Finally managing to gain the attention of the two women she handed them their files, settling her hands on her hips as she watched for a reaction.
It was almost in sync, complete disgust, quickly followed by horror and a slight smirk that pulled at Natasha's lips as she glanced at Barbara. Before either of the females could voice their thoughts Maria cut across, interrupting their thoughts again: "After the incident involving Stark and the unidentified threat, Virginia Potts has become a concern of SHIELD. There is belief that she will be the next target of Stark's attacker, and she needs protection. The three of you will become employees for Stark Industries for the foreseeable future, to act as liaisons, gather information and regain her trust, as well as protect the company."
The silence fell again when she finished speaking, all three agents thinking exactly the same thing:
"Why does she need all three of us?" Clint asked before either of the women could, turning his gaze on Maria: "And why us three exactly, couldn't you just send someone else? And he's been under for two months anyway, what does she need us for now?"
The agent had been expecting these questions, sighing a little as she pulled several sheets of paper from her own folder, spreading them across the meeting room table in front of them "These are her bank accounts and purchase history from the last two weeks." Bobbi grabbed for the nearest, scanning it curiously, the list was slowly filling up with pregnancy kits and books, as well as more chocolate that should be humanly edible and new clothes. She paused, scowling at the list as she thought it through; Natasha seemed to be doing exactly the same.
Barbara Morse didn't even know this woman, Pepper Potts was the irritating ginger woman from the TV that was always dealing with Stark Industries trouble and generally wiping up her boss' mess. The 19th agent of SHIELD had been working with other people in other places for the past year, and had missed out on, as Clint put it, all of the fun. They'd brought her back here after Starks little accident, forcing her to meet her irritating ex and his new plaything. Somehow since that moment they'd thrown a few sparks back in the thing that used to be their marriage, but this mission didn't sound like the best idea.
"She's pregnant?" Natasha asked, voicing everyone's thoughts, as she rounded on Maria, mildly offended that she didn't know anything about it. In all honesty she'd been under the impression that she was friends with Pepper Potts.
"We're not sure yet." Maria confessed, sighing a little: "We need you to find out, which is why we're sending you in. If she is she'll be emotional and emotions are dangerous in high level situations."
Emotions were certainly not something Pepper was short on right now, Natasha decided as she forced her to sit down, taking the medical kit from Bobbi and opening it. The three women were in Peppers own office, with the door locked and the ginger woman hiccupping away her tears as she let them help her.
"What happened?" The blonde had asked before she could stop herself, leaning on the desk with a scowl as she gazed at the strawberry blonde woman, watching her curiously.
"Who is she?" Pepper asked Natasha at exactly the same time, cringing as Natasha poured alcohol over her hand, disinfecting them.
"Barbara Morse, She's a SHIELD agent." Romanoff explained with distaste, retrieving the tweezers to pull the shards of glass from the ginger's hand, making her whimper in pain and surprise as the stomach cramps joined in, it was almost as if everything had to hurt at once! Instinctively she wrapped her arm around her stomach, causing the other two to raise their eyebrows and exchange a glance.
Pepper noticed them and blushed, her head suddenly forcing to the front of it a thought she hadn't had in a few days.
She needed to tell someone.
All thoughts of the blood and the mess forgotten her gaze shifted from Natasha's face to the new woman's, both of them pulling exactly the same expression. The two agents sighed almost in sync; the silence staying until the redhead had finished with her hands, glad the little bit of medical training on field had other uses. Stepping away from Pepper she scowled, standing next to Bobbi and watching her old boss as she looked away, concentrating her gaze on her knees.
"Miss Potts…" Agent Romanoff began, unsure how to say it. Pregnancy was not something she'd ever been through or known anyone who'd been through, it was an issue that was quickly hushed up and removed from SHIELD, it wasn't acceptable in her line of work.
"Are you pregnant?" Bobbi asked before Natasha could stop her, causing Pepper to look up in complete horror and shock. After one too many missions going wrong due to nobody asking exactly what they needed to know (and the chance to rile the woman beside her) she'd decided it was just better to get it over with.
It felt like someone had just hit her over the head with it, the strawberry blonde reasoned as she glared at Agent Morse, almost certain there was something in the SHIELD code about not being so blunt. So obviously SHIELD suspected her, which meant she'd been seen, or someone had scanned her when she was sleeping or something else crazy. But why did they need to know if she was or wasn't? They'd been useless since Starks accident, taking no interest in her.
Did the fact they were here mean she was in danger?
The confusion became anger and the anger become fire as her expression hardened: "No." She stated bluntly, getting to her feet: "And if there was any possibility I was it would be nothing to do with you. Leave. Now."
Her last words were a command rather than a question, and the two seemed to take it as such, scarpering before anything else went wrong.
As soon as she knew they were gone, Pepper grabbed for paper and her pen, collapsing in the chair and doing the only thing she could think of, scribbling another letter to the cause of all this trouble. Right now, she missed him more than ever; at least he'd have known what to do.
Dear Tony,
I'm sorry I shouted.
I just can't do this on my own. I don't want to. I want you back.
You were always my idiot. Mine.
My Billionaire Genius Playboy philanthropist.
I hate you so much.
You swore you wouldn't leave me.