"Shit." Scarlett set down a petri dish on her marble countertop and then shoved it aside in frustration. The sample within turned a putrid green. She sat upon a barstool in a long-sleeved men's dress shirt in her kitchen. On the counter there was a microscope, various phials and test tubes along with bottles upon bottles of medication. To her left was a stack of papers folded in various directions in only a way she would understand. The mess was one she returned and added to each night.

"This isn't working." She rested her elbows on the counter and placed her head in her hands. That petri dish was the latest addition to a long line of petri dishes and slides. Each was discolored and sickly looking. Every attempt she made failed. Her head was still splitting from earlier.

After she'd been drugged in the parking garage, Natasha and Jinx brought her to the hospital and then to SHIELD headquarters. The men who attacked them were apprehended but none were talking. They'd been sent to capture her or gather samples of her blood and SHIELD was only sure of that because of what they'd found after searching them.

Thankfully what was in the needle they'd plunged into her body was a sedative. Unfortunately that sedative conflicted with one of her many medicines and it tanked her blood sugar which is how she ended up in the emergency room. She'd spent hours hooked up to IVs and machinery, monitored by SHIELD doctors she was unfamiliar with. Most of that time was spent answering questions that she couldn't rightly answer and being prodded and poked to no avail.

After the ordeal, there'd been no time to speak with anyone about going back into the field or getting more information about her ex or her handler. Scarlett was feeling rather defeated. It didn't seem like anyone at SHIELD would ever trust her. That and she in no way proved herself that night. She'd lost so much strength in just a few months. Staying fit was difficult now but she vowed to work harder than ever to maintain her muscle.

Everything was happening too fast. It was all catching up with her and she couldn't outrun it. There were no more bridges left to cross because she'd set them all on fire. Head still pounding from the medicinal conflict, Scarlett rubbed her temples and tried to focus. It was too early in the morning to work and she'd been told to rest but instead she continued her experiments. She'd tried every combination she could think of that wouldn't kill her and it still didn't fix the problem. None of it made sense. She was hoping that she could solve something before she reported back to SHIELD later that morning.

But nothing worked.

She turned to the half drained glass of wine she'd poured after getting home. She wasn't supposed to drink either but Scarlett was tired of being told what to do and needed something to take the edge off. So much was out of her control. And Scarlett was realizing she was kind of a control freak. Or at least she used to be.

If she needed a drink she was going to drink.

But maybe it was time to give up for the night, at least on anything that mattered while her head felt this way. She wasn't thinking clearly between the drugs, the reaction, and then more drugs to counteract the reaction without interacting with the drugs she was already on. She could feel the fog of medication. There was no point in doing chemistry with her head like this.

Once she'd been stable, Natasha promised she would talk to Nick Fury the next morning about fieldwork. About doing something for her friend in India. Scarlett felt like she was being placated. After the attack in the parking garage, SHIELD would see how vulnerable she truly was. They'd never let her go on the offensive. At this point, she couldn't blame them either. Between the failed tests, letting a MedCo Security Agent stick her with a strange needle, and her waning strength, Scarlett was no longer sure she was fit for fieldwork. Natasha was right.

Scarlett was compromised in just about every way a person could be.

If Jinx and Natasha hadn't been there that night, she wasn't sure what would have happened. She'd been lucky and she didn't believe in luck. Even with the brutal truth laid out in front of her with her blood curdling at the bottom of petri dishes, Scarlett struggled to let go of control. It just wasn't who she was.

Buzzing from the other end of the counter interrupted her dark thoughts.

Her phone rang, dancing across marble. Thankfully it had only been the glass screen protector that shattered in the parking garage. It'd been replaced and the phone was fine. Scarlett reached for it. She didn't recognize the number but it was programmed into her contacts as An Interruption. Beneath that was a picture of Tony from earlier that day. Did he hack her phone? How? It made her smile. But her smile quickly faded.

She should ignore it. Natasha was right about that too. It was a conflict.

But dammit, she didn't want to ignore it. She answered the call against her better judgment.

"Do you always call strange women after three in the morning?" Scarlett picked up her glass of wine and left the mess on the counter behind. She curled up on her couch instead. Might as well be comfortable. "And how the hell did you manage to program yourself into something cute on my phone? I don't remember giving you my number or taking yours." Scarlett sipped her wine. She did not regret disobeying doctor's orders. She'd probably regret it in the morning, but that was a problem for tomorrow Scarlett.

"A magician never reveals his tricks, Miss Damien." Tony was surprised she picked up. He'd spent the last twenty minutes trying to talk himself out of calling her. But he couldn't help it. He had to. "And it's only midnight by me, so… no, I do not usually do this." Despite his wit and charm, Scarlett felt something off in his tone. His voice was tired. Strangled.

"Why are you calling me, Stark?" Scarlett set her glass down on the coffee table and pulled her feet beneath her. The pillows were cozy so she hugged one close.

"You're full of questions, Scarlett. Here, I have one. What… are you wearing?" She could hear the smile on his face.

"Very cute. But avoidance is just wasting our time."

"I wasn't being cute. I was being serious. You seem to get those two things confused quite frequently. I mean, I am cute, but it shouldn't be that distracting, really. Especially when you can't see me over the phone. I can, however, tell you what I'm wearing and it doesn't leave much to the imagination." Tony drifted off but his voice was filled with apprehension. He could feel it. So could she. Hearing her voice calmed his racing heart. And he didn't really want to talk about what happened. He just didn't want to be alone.

Though he did want to talk about the fight with Pepper. And the realization that anxiety had taken over his life. He just didn't know how. It seemed so simple in theory. But now that he had Scarlett on the phone, the words wouldn't come.

"What do you want, Stark? It's late." She was tired and her smile faded. It had been one hell of a long day. Yet Tony managed to make her smile, a feat not easily accomplished that night. Jinx had spent much of their time at the hospital trying to cheer her up, reading passages from her smutty romance novels and telling bad jokes. Showing her stupid videos on social media. "You called me. You must have something to say."

"You're right, I do."

"And?"

"Why is it you don't sound tired for someone who claims it's an annoyance to call them at three in the morning?" Tony countered. Scarlett smiled. He was avoiding the question. She wouldn't press him too hard and she couldn't deny that it was nice to hear something other than her thoughts. "That call you took earlier? You know, the one that interrupted our meeting? It must have been serious for you to still be awake."

"It was important. It is partly why I'm still awake."

"What's the other part?"

"Why aren't you sleeping, Stark?" Scarlett found herself playing with her hair as she settled into the pillows. How very flirtatious of her. It was a good thing he couldn't see her. She rarely had someone to talk to where she just got to be herself. Scarlett spent much of her time working or putting on an act. Her alone time was usually spent researching or sleeping. For someone who was considered a socialite, her life was incredibly lonely.

"Because I was thinking about you." Tony didn't sound dishonest, but it didn't sound like an innuendo either. There was a smile in his voice, something fond. She hated that she fell for his charms like every woman before her.

"For some reason I highly doubt that." Scarlett traced her fingertip over the design on the pillow in her arms. She was never very good at sitting still. But talking to Tony took her mind away from the madness that was the rest of her life.

Part of her felt deceitful for not telling him more. It was by design, but it didn't mean she liked it. The less people knew about her, the better. Especially after tonight. People who cared about her were dying just for knowing her. Anyone close to her would be put at risk.

She hoped this meant that the new people in her life would be safe. It was hard to keep her distance with her cover. And she wasn't sure how good a job she was doing seeing as she was on the phone with Tony Stark at three in the morning.

"You know, it's only midnight here. I think it's still a reasonable hour to be awake without an excuse." Tony dodged questions, but his voice sounded more relaxed. Whatever he really needed from her, she hoped he was getting it.

"So, the implication is that I'm the one who must be hiding something because I answered the phone at three in the morning?"

"Yes, actually."

"Just roll it back a little, Stark. You called me, knowing what time it was here. For all you know, I was sleeping."

"Were you?" Tony laughed.

"No. Insomnia. Always had a hard time sleeping." Scarlett wasn't lying either but it wasn't exactly the truth. She'd had a long night and she did struggle with sleeping. Just enough truth to make it believable.

"Ah, now that I believe." Tony sighed in understanding. A twinge of guilt twisted in her stomach. He was bonding with her. She shifted uncomfortably on the couch and laid on her side. She should have been sleeping. She needed more rest than she was used to getting. Her body didn't cooperate half the time anymore.

"The creative's curse, I hear. My mind is always going." Scarlett could at least bond honestly about that, but she knew she shouldn't.

"Why not catch a flight here?" Tony suggested. "I can send my jet. We can work through the insomnia so it won't be time wasted." Scarlett was speechless, a rare thing. It was quite the bold offer considering how little they knew each other. But dammit, she was tempted. Working late with a like-minded person and not having to think about the rest of it. That sounded blissful.

"It's about a five hour flight not including prep and the commute to and from the airport." Scarlett collected herself. "By the time I arrived it would be morning anyway and I doubt I would make it back here in time for my meeting." Scarlett wasn't sure the offer was real anyway. And she did have a meeting that morning with SHIELD. And if she didn't show up to meet Mickey then someone would come and bring her in. She didn't need to seem uncooperative at this stage. She'd already caused enough trouble that night.

"You will always have meetings. It's a great thing, technology, you can have them from anywhere." Tony spoke as though this were obvious. She heard him shifting around and found herself curious of what he was up to. "You're starting to sound worse than me."

"Well, you have the luxury of a well-established corporation that's been under your controls for years. My company just went public. I have to keep up so that Refuge has a fighting chance."

"It's your baby, Scarlett. And it's doing great. Way better than you seem to think. Refuge is a household name. It's not just a passing phase. I wouldn't say that if I wasn't certain of it. Why else do you think I'm so insistent that we work together?"

"Honestly, I thought it had to do with my tits." Scarlett joked and she heard Tony choke on the other end of the line. "And that it's good publicity for Stark Industries which has been kind of laying low for the last year. And I'm brilliant. I won't deny that." Scarlett knew that was the reason because Tony was not the first CEO hoping to share her spotlight. However, he was the first she indulged for this long.

And if he hadn't had an anxiety attack she wasn't sure he'd be any different. Tony Stark was struggling. It was plain to see and she was struggling too. Without meaning to, she'd bonded them together and he had no idea. His insistence hadn't won her over, his moment of vulnerability had. She became the friend he needed in the moment but only because she wanted to help. It was entirely on accident.

Maybe Scarlett needed a friend too. Natasha was her friend once but now she was her enforcer. And Jinx was her assistant. The two made it perfectly clear that when push came to shove, SHIELD was their first priority. Scarlett wanted to leave her house as an anonymous citizen and drink until she couldn't see or beat something until her knuckles bled. But no, she couldn't. There was a time where Natasha would have been her drinking buddy for such an occasion but not anymore.

Control of her life had slipped well out of her hands.

She was driven to Tony Stark. How was it that she was the first person to notice he was struggling? Even with all that smarm and confidence, it felt obvious. But then again, no one noticed her struggle either. She knew what it looked like because she saw it in every photo of her when no one else did.

Spotting it on someone else was easy.

"Well, yeah, partly, but it's more what you've developed. It was something I didn't think possible. Something I hadn't even considered and let me tell you that's impressive because I am responsible for ninety percent of the technology no one thought was possible."

"Only you would manage to twist a compliment for someone else into a way to toot your own horn."

"I never toot my own horn, not my style." Tony's grin was apparent and Scarlett stifled a laugh.

"Stop."

"Stop what? No idea what you're referring to." Even as quickly as he shifted topics he always got back to his point. "You know, if you accepted my offer, then it wouldn't be a big deal if you flew to Malibu for a week at a time. Come here, do some work, manage your business remotely. You could rent a temporary space if you needed an office. Or you can use one of the offices at Stark Industries. I'm sure we can find space." Tony was persistent and convincing. "Plus, it'd be good press. Good work relations and all that." Scarlett was worried about the rumors but part of her also didn't care. He was right. They would print what they wanted no matter the truth.

"You're right." Scarlett sighed, pulling her blanket from the back of the couch and over her legs.

"Can you say that again? I don't think I heard you clearly the first time."

"Do you not get enough praise, Stark? Don't push your luck." Curled up on the couch, the hours of misery at SHIELD were long behind her. "I have to come to Malibu soon anyway but I really do have an important meeting in the morning that I must be present for."

"And why is it you have to come out to Malibu? I mean, besides to see me." Tony was already planning to get her a better phone. The one she had was too standard for a woman like her.

"In order to properly consider the deal you're offering I must do my due diligence. That means I have to take a look at what you're offering. Officially."

"Really? You're coming out here to feel me out?" Tony probably wasn't used to people resisting his offers. His was such a prominent company that most took him by reputation alone. "That's more third date material, but I suppose I won't object."

"I don't jump into anything without knowing exactly what it is I'm jumping into." She lied. Scarlett loved taking risks. But as a CEO and in her current situation, she had to be far more cautious. "I have to make sure you're not planning to screw me over."

"Well, that's definitely third date material if you change the wording a little bit."

"Go ahead, get all your jokes out." Scarlett laughed. It had been too long since she'd laughed this much. She forgot how good it felt. The last few months had been nothing but cynicism and sarcasm just to get by.

"You couldn't stop me if you tried."

"That's precisely why I have decided not to try. Plus, it's nice to laugh." Scarlett knew he hadn't called to discuss business but she was happy to. His strain from earlier was gone. Maybe he'd called her for comfort. That was something she hadn't offered anyone in years. It felt nice to help someone.

"Still surprised you answered so late."

"Or early, depending. I have to be honest, I had no idea what time it was until I answered." Scarlett glanced at the clock on the wall. "I struggle with time blindness. I cannot express how many meetings I've missed because of it. That's why I have an assistant or I don't think I'd get anywhere on time."

"What do you know? Me too." It all seemed very simple when talking to Scarlett. He'd get back to work, he'd clear his head. The panic was gone. The overwhelming stress was gone. If he told her everything, would she laugh? Tony highly doubted it. It was hard not to put her on a pedestal. That's what Rhodey would warn him about doing. Or maybe he saw who she was through the mask she wore for the media. "So, how do you plan on functioning in a few hours without any sleep? And can I make a suggestion?" They were both searching for reasons not to hang up.

"Copious amounts of espresso at unhealthy intervals. Perhaps intravenously."

"A bloody mary will fix you up in no time flat. Easier on the system than that much caffeine."

"Yeah, nothing says level-headed like vodka." Scarlett rolled her eyes.

"Trust me."

"Big words for a man who destroyed my office today."

"Which I promised to pay for. Does that not count for anything?" Tony artfully and very quickly changed the subject. "When you're ready to come to Malibu let me know. I can have a guest room provided…"

"Oh, no. No, no. There's no chance I'm staying with you, Stark. That's the worst idea you've ever had."

"It's not, but it was worth a shot. Even so, I know the finest hotels in Malibu. I can email you some suggestions, pay for the stay since I'm the reason you're coming."

"I can see the headlines now. Tony Stark buys Scarlett Damien, notorious sex-bomb, a hotel suite near his house. I'll take care of my own accommodations. I know the internet is going to internet but we don't have to give them ideas." Scarlett could practically hear Tony pouting.

"You're taking away all the fun headlines."

"And you're trying to get me into more trouble. Trust me, I get into plenty of trouble without your help." Scarlett closed her eyes and listened to his soothing voice. How long had they been talking? It didn't matter. They didn't want to hang up so why should they?

They ended up talking until the sun rose in Boston. Tony fell asleep as she watched the sun rise through her window. Scarlett only hung up after a soft British voice introduced himself as Tony's artificially intelligent butler and alerted her to the fact he was sleeping. Then she heard him snoring. Scarlett said goodnight and hung up.

There would be no sleep for her. She'd catch a nap here and there when she had time. She wasn't sure she would have slept even without the distraction of Tony Stark. There was too much on her mind.