Footpaths bonus

'There is the same black car on the other side of the street that I've seen three times this week already,' Pepper mutters to herself and then adds, 'JARVIS?'

'I'm here, Miss Potts. I need a few moments to process the information.'

'Sure thing – how is Tony doing today, by the way?' she asks, glad that she drove the car to the meeting by herself; it's the only moment when she has enough time to discuss Tony in a safe environment.

'Sir is doing quite fine, better than expected I would say.'

'That's good, that's good,' Pepper sighs, relaxing a bit. It's always a mystery if she'll hear about Tony feeling bad and throwing up and sleeping all day – or being himself, like he calls it. It leaves Pepper terrified and speechless every single time she actually hears anything bad, she can't stop thinking that it's – too soon, she just can't.

But he is Tony and he's exceptional so he always manages to surprise everyone, her included, even after all those years.

'According to the information I was able to get, the person sitting in the car is Director Fury, ma'am. I am sure he would not be happy with me being able to find out his identity.'

'Oh right, I'm sure he wouldn't,' Pepper says trough gritted teeth. She's heard enough about S.H.I.E.L.D. from both Tony and Rhodey so she knows to expect never-ending supervision and nagging and too curious agents. Phil is an exception there, on the few occasions she had something to do with him he was polite and nice and they were as friendly to each other as two strangers can be – but Fury. The director. The spy, like Happy keeps calling him when he phones Pepper to bitch about one thing or another about Tony; Pepper lets him because he's simply good-naturedly afraid.

'Are you going to go back to your apartment?'

'I will. In a moment. I need a breath, there are about three million things I should still do today, as soon as I enter my flat, it's nice to practice avoidance sometimes. Not like I can do that often anyway… Do you know what he wants? Any ideas?'

'It is difficult to say. There are reasons to believe that he might have a few questions –'

'What did Tony do now?'

'You know, Miss Potts. You were angry about the same thing.'

'… I don't think I can take that man anymore, Tony's going to be the death of me,' Pepper mutters after a few seconds of silence. 'Really? How?'

'Director Fury is one of the people who have most resources at their hand,' JARVIS says, sounding almost amazed – and just a bit jealous. 'As sir put it, Director Fury knows more than is good for him.'

'He's not the only one to think that – okay, I'm going into the house,' Pepper decides, turning off the car's engine and grabbing her bag from the passenger's seat. 'But I think we need a few more words later. All right?'

'I can always spare some of my server memory for you, Miss Potts, it is a pleasure.'

'You're such a suck-up,' she says fondly and opens the car's doors. The pavement feels freezing under her feet since she's not wearing winter shoes, just her usual heels.

She's been Tony's CEO for long enough to be a great actress and learn a few tricks so she doesn't look back at the conspicuous black car but checks if it's still there in the reflection of her building's window. It's still there, still with all dark matching windows and the most normal license plate ever.

Pepper makes her way upstairs and no more than five minutes after she enters the apartment, someone rings to her door. She's managed to kick off her shoes, put leftover savory muffins into the oven and take off jewellery, so she answers the door barefoot in her tight burgundy dress, pretending he doesn't know who is waiting outside.

'We need to talk,' Fury says, staring at Pepper with an unreadable expression.

'Oh do we?' she asks, raising an eyebrow, and then adds, opening the door wider, 'Come in.'

'I wouldn't have expected you to let me come in,' he comments drily, entering the flat and looking around, assessing the surroundings with a trained eye.

'I know that you know and now I want you to tell me what you want from me,' she says, smiling tiredly at Fury's almost-frown. 'Of course you know Tony's A.I. by now – he's quite a useful one, aren't you, JARVIS?'

'Indeed, ma'am,' JARVIS replies smugly, making the almost-frown turn into a real one.

'I hate you all,' Fury declares, dropping onto the nearby leather sofa. It matches his black coat perfectly; the thought makes Pepper want to get a drink. After this extremely long day she really feels like she deserves a drink. 'So you know I know – does he know that?'

'Tony simply assumes that I know everything – well, at least since he told me he wasn't actually missing – it's easier that way. And usually very true.'

There is a moment of silence, Fury closely observes Pepper moving to get them both something to drink but despite the scrutiny she doesn't feel anyhow strange. It's her personal space and no matter how intimidating and almighty the director might be, she's at home. She won't let anyone else rule in her space.

Besides, she's been checked out endless times and it doesn't feel that different, eyes – well, an eye – following her every movement.

'I want you to tell me what's wrong,' Fury states firmly and Pepper blinks, shakes her head and actually laughs. God, that's enough for today, it really is. 'I need you to tell me what's wrong,' he rephrases and Pepper laughs again, amused by the fact that he thinks another wording would mean something else.

'What for?' she asks, out of curiosity, placing the glasses and water on the table and sitting down in the armchair, crossing her legs and tapping her fingers on the sidearm.

'So you don't deny something is wrong.'

'Of course not,' she rolls her eyes, pouring herself some water and swallowing it quickly. 'You wouldn't be here if it was anyhow deniable.'

'But you still refuse to say something more?'

'Oh, but I haven't said anything. I'm pretty sure he didn't deny anything so this – this is not telling you anything. This is waiting for you to explain or give me any other reason not to throw you out of my flat.'

'If I knew –'

'Save it,' she cuts in, keeping her voice strong even though the words are not what is in her mind at all. 'I don't know what you're thinking but he isn't a puppy and he can make decision so I would trust him if he told you to leave him alone.'

'You're both so fucking impossible –'

'How do you think we've managed to cooperate?' Pepper asks politely, faking a smile, and Fury almost-snickers. 'We complete each other. If you want an in into his head, that's me. But you won't get an in because you don't need an in. You want something, talk to him. He's not my responsibility anymore, not like that.'

'That's a big damn lie,' Fury notes. Pepper doesn't dignify the statement with a comment, just pours herself some more water, wishing yet again it was gin. Or wine. Or anything. Just today.

'Are we getting somewhere with this conversation?' she finally asks a few long moments later, when it doesn't seem like Fury is planning to say anything at all – just keeps staring.

'I'm worried about him,' he admits, and then, 'Howard was my friend.'

'Uh-oh, that's not the best thing to say,' Pepper comments, moving her legs into a more comfortable position. The thighs are still on and she's dying to get rid of them. 'Sore spot.'

'I know that too well,' he says, looking away for the first time in minutes. 'I want to help.'

'Well, you can't,' Pepper tells him easily, even though the words feel so heavy. 'How does that feel?'

'Stupid,' he mutters, standing up. Pepper grabs the bottle to pour herself some more water but then she stops herself – it's just a trick, she needs something in her hands, so he twirls the thin long glass between her fingers. 'I still don't have a fucking idea why he'd keep up the game – there is so much he could do if he stopped –'

'I hope you haven't suggested that,' Pepper says, perfectly aware that her smile is more threatening than nice.

'I'm obviously missing a piece of the story, no, I didn't. But I hate missing a fucking piece of the story. I never miss any pieces of a story. He guards it closely, whatever it is.'

'Director –'

'Miss Potts –'

'You don't get to Miss Potts me,' she cuts in, leaning into the armchair while he's pacing behind the sofa. 'I won't give you answers. Tony is Tony and he does what he wants and if you claim to know him at all, you should know that I follow because that is my job. To keep up with him and do the damage control and smile at him every time he makes a wrong decision. That's how we work and you should know it, with your resources.'

'I –'

'He's been through a lot,' Pepper continues, ignoring Fury completely, looking somewhere behind his head and pretending to meet his eyes. 'Since Afghanistan, he's been through so much and you have to realize that and accept that and if anything, he's gained the right to make his choices. So if you want something – don't even start,' she adds, noticing that he's about to interrupt, 'so if you want something, I can offer you a ham and cheese muffin my neighbor made yesterday. Damn, if you pretend to be half as nice as Phil is, I can offer you some wine and we can chat about how you do world domination and JARVIS will make notes for me, and we can eat muffins because I'm desperate enough to get some rest today that I'm inviting you to stay for a dinner – provided that you don't try to make me talk again.'

When she finishes, she finally focuses on Fury's face only to see a real expression finally, not a studied guarded one but a real, honest confusion.

'Take off the coat,' she tells him, standing up, and rolls her eyes at the annoying itching all over her legs – and then she takes off her tights, with a practiced movement, not revealing too much of her legs or anything, but Fury still stares as if she was an alien. 'What? We're both adults. I need to take these off,' she says, throwing the tights across the room. 'I'm not undressing for anyone, mind you. You're the spy, Happy tells me. He's a fan. Don't tell Tony.'

Pepper leaves Fury standing frozen in the middle of the room, makes her way to get the muffins, some potato salad from the fridge and a bottle of red wine. She puts it all on a tray, together with plates and cutlery, and goes back to the living room to see the director still standing in the same place.

'I admit, this is not how I imagined my evening, but if you take off that damn coat I can pretend you're not a superspy for the rest of the evening.'

'And you are to talk about world domination, sir,' JARVIS reminds politely and Pepper can swear he's describing all of this to Happy in real time; Tony is probably asleep by now. Happy would love this so much.

'Damn you both,' Fury mutters angrily, takes a breath and then takes off his coat and puts it on the back of the sofa. 'These any good, at least?' he asks, taking one of the muffins from the tray. Pepper huffs, grabbing one herself, and pours them both wine before answering.

'The best in New York City.'

'Well then,' he says and bites in; Pepper follows, trying not to think about how she's eating supper with the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and how he's here because Tony's looking bad enough to make everyone wonder if he's sick or how she'd rather sleep forever than go to work tomorrow.

World domination, she decides, that's a good thing to think about.

And with Tony and JARVIS beside her, they could really do it, she realizes, and laughs drily at the thought, it's almost as if she was choking down sobs but was too good at pretending it's not that. Fury looks up from his muffin but she doesn't offer an explanation.

If only.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this bonus giving you insight of other things going on in the background ;) Next time we start with Again come the morning!