i_onlyhaveyou (i_onlyhaveyou) wrote in we_coexist, @ 2008-07-31 15:15:00 |
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Entry tags: | pepper potts, zz:status complete |
An end of fairy tales (closed - narrative) - COMPLETE
Pepper's bare feet slapped softly against the cold floor as she made her way back into her office, followed close behind by the bounding ball of fluff that was Salt. The little kitten batted its tiny claws at her heels as she walked, raising its back in a "fierce" look and earning her a laugh as Pepper gave her a little nudge with her toes as she flopped into her oversized swivel chair.
"Alright, pest, you're gonna have to calm down so I can actually get some work done. Do you understand me? Here. Have a toy."
She picked up one of the seemingly hundreds of catnip toys Tony had purchased for the little beast, tossing it across the floor at her. Salt's ears perked up and she gave a little "mrowr" sound before lunging at the toy like a lion taking down its prey. Pepper laughed as the kitten flipped onto its back, mouse-shaped toy clutched between its paws and she almost thought she could hear it make a little "mm nom nom nom" sound as it began to chew at the black, beady eyes.
"There now. You just play with that for awhile and behave yourself."
Tony had said that he was going to be going out for the evening to do a bit of exploring and see what kind of a nightlife the City had to offer. Pepper had smiled, agreeing to watch after Salt while he was away, having sensed throughout the day that he'd been growing restless and really needed to get out and about. Tony Stark, no matter how much he may change, would never be a simply homebody. He didn't like being pinned up in his home for too long, unless it was to find himself for hours on end with a project down in his workshop to distract himself. But he really hadn't spent much time down there since they'd arrived and so Pepper knew it would only be a matter of time before he got a little stir-crazy and needed to get out.
Which was good...it gave her a chance to have some quiet to herself and get a little bit of work done.
She just prayed that maybe this time he wouldn't bring home a puppy so that Salt would have a b.f.f. to play with...
Turning in her swivel chair to face the computer screen, Pepper gave a few quick clicks of her mouse. Jarvis had been assisting her in trying to pull up documentation of various sorts that might help give her a clue as to where they were. Things like weather in various parts of the world that matched the temperatures and climate they were currently at...or recorded experiences of people that believed to have found themselves in another dimension. She looked up arguments on "parallel universes" and the possibility of being able to go back and forth between them. Though still troubled by the puzzle, it gave her a feeling of ease to know that she was at least doing something to help figure it all out and possibly get them back home.
Home...
Home, where Tony Stark would suit up at least once a week as Iron Man and leave her to fret and worry over him while he was gone. Home, where she was a simple, single woman living in a tiny little flat all on her own. Home, where she would never be able to be anything more to Tony than merely his personal assistant. Home, where Tony was forced to play a role and be the man that she secretly had known he wasn't all along. Home, where this pretty little Cinderella story would never be anything more than this mere cinder girl pining after the Prince she couldn't have.
Is that the home you want to go back to...?
A sad, thoughtful sort of expression crossed her face...and after a moment, she reached up to close out of the windows that she'd had opened and filled with research.
She was about to stand up and go back into the living room when something caught her eye. A small icon at the bottom right of her screen was blinking an alert up at her. She frowned...toggling the mouse over to double-click on it and pull the alert up to full screen.
"Huh. That's odd. One of the security cameras has been deactivated."
Another few clicks and she pulled up the various cameras that were being monitored.
"Jarvis? Do you know why the workshop's camera has been taken offline?"
The A.I. was silent for a moment and Pepper wondered if he'd heard her...but then that formal, posh tone spoke to her from the surrounding speakers.
"It appears that it was experiencing some technical difficulties."
Pepper couldn't help but laugh as she turned her eyes upward, almost as thoughs he might be able to look at the A.I. straight on. "Technical difficulties? Since when has that ever stopped you from being able to fix something? Pull up the screen and let me have a look at it - maybe I can see what the problem is."
There was a long pause...and Pepper found herself giving a little, uncertain scowl. Maybe Jarvis was right. Maybe there was some kind of a malfunction. It's possible that the system had been screwed up with their 'teleportation' here. However, just as she was about to open her mouth and request once again that he pull up the screen, the image provided by the security camera flashed up on her screen.
Only there was something very odd about it. The image was...well, entirely too still.
Pepper frowned and leaned forward, perplexed as to what the trouble might be. She couldn't quite put her finger on it...but something was amiss.
Her eyes darted down to the bottom of the screen and she gave another laugh.
"Oh! Well, there's the problem. The image has been frozen from four hours ago. The camera must have locked up somehow. Jarvis, would you please reboot that camera? Just power it off and turn it back on again. That should fix the problem. It seems to have just locked up somehow."
"Miss Potts, I really don't think that's entirely necessary. My systems are reading that it's actually a malfunction to do with the--."
"Just humor me, Jarvis. If there's anything I know about computers and technology is that 90% of the problems can be solved be either just rebootng them...or kicking them."
Again there was that odd pause and Pepper wondered if Jarvis might actually be experiencing some kind of a lag time..when he responded with something akin to a sigh in his 'voice'.
"Very well, Miss Potts."
Pepper watched as the screen went black for a moment...and then suddenly came back to life again.
"Ah! See? What'd I tell you. Just needed a..."
Her voice died away and those green eyes of hers gave a quick blink as she looked down at the image.
The camera was back to working again, alright. She could see a perfect view of the workshop now.
The workshop...where Tony Stark currently had some woman bent across his car in a blatantly sexual position.
Pepper could feel her heartbeat speeding up inside of her...but her breathing grew strangely shallow. Salt had moved to rub against her legs, demanding to be picked up...but she found herself unable to move. Frozen in shock as she watched the erotic scene that filled her screen. Cheeks flushed in an embarassing blush and she had to force her eyes to turn aside.
"Jarvis...shut off the camera..."
"Miss Potts, I don't think that--."
"SHUT IT OFF, JARVIS!"
There was silence...and then the sight disappeared from in front of her.
But in her mind's eye, the scene was burned into her memory forever.
Pepper felt something inside of her break.
She pushed her fingers back through her strawberry blond hair. Unbidden tears were beginning to sting at her eyes and she angrily wiped them away with the back of her hand.
Jarvis voice was softer now. "Miss Potts...forgive me. I shut down the security cameras so that you wouldn't have to--."
"It's alright, Jarvis," Pepper spoke in a whisper, almost afraid her voice would give out on her if she talked too loud. She pursed her lips together hard, forcing her trembling body to rise from her seat. Salt danced about her heels, excited that she was getting up to play with her...but then pouted when Pepper simply stepped around her. "I...understand. Don't worry."
Pepper felt almost like a zombie as she walked out of her office and her cheeks flushed hot and red as she darted a glance towards the stairs that led down towards the workshop.
The workshop...where even at this very moment, Tony was once again back to his old ways...having his way with some woman he surely only just managed to meet tonight.
Pepper braced her hand against the doorframe and, unbidden, tears began to roll down her cheeks.
Well, what did you expect, silly girl? That the infamous playboy had suddenly changed his ways? That he'd suddenly realized you? You've been with him for...what? Five years? And you actually thought things would ever be different? Foolish, naive child. Head full of such pretty little daydreams.
Pepper lowered her face down into the palm of her hand and she could feel her shoulders shaking and she valiantly fought back a gasping, heart-wrenching sob.
Poor Virginia. Such a fool. Such a silly little fool.
"Jarvis..." Pepper tried to keep her voice calm, despite the obvious hitch in her words. "I'm...going out for awhile."
Making her way towards the door, Pepper had to shove Salt away with her foot when the tiny creature tried to follow her. The cat looked up at her with such a pathetic, rejected kind of stare as Pepper slipped on her shoes.
"Yeah...me too, Salt...me too."
Then, turning away, Pepper opened the front door and made her way out into the night.