2014-02-10 - Driving Pepper to Drink

It's Monday. You know what Mondays are good for?

Drinking.

And trying to forget that the average 9-5 workday schlub has four more days of the same BS they suffered through today until the bliss that is the weekend.

So the usual type of crowd is at Dalton's tonight, some in groups at tables, chatting and laughing, some sitting alone at tables or the bar itself, drowning their problems in the contents of a bottle.

It's at the bar that Natasha Romanova, late in the tabloids and featured in Lex Luthor's/Vandal Savage's character assassinations on varying heroes, sits, nursing something that probably has vodka in it-- she's Russian after all. Under the sleeves of her leather jacket, her stings peek out, but other than that, she's completely civilian tonight, no other weapons (at least visible), not that the average person in the bar could guess those pretty bracelets pack an electric wallop.

Whomever is in charge of the background music tonight seems to be in a Top 40s and Pop kind of mood, because Maroon 5's 'Move Like Jagger' filters through the dull buzz of the bar.

For Peter? He's not one to drink in bars. He's underage! But at this point, Peter is checking up on an old friend of Uncle Ben that frequents the place that he's been chatting with on and off now then.

The elderly looking man with an empty mail-sack over his shoulder gives a wave, "Take care kid. And remember, neither rain, nor sleet, nor hail.."

As his hair was toussled Peter chuckled, "Thank you Mister Lumpkin. Take care."

With the light tap-tapping of his cane, the red haired man manages to cut through the crowd--alone by the look of things, though he seems to be familiar enough with the bar as he reaches it. Matt wears a small smile, sliding up alongside where Natasha is sitting. When the bartendar notices him he gets the beer of choice. "Hey, Foggy's not here yet is he?" The guy gives a small grunt in the negitive and leaves the man and his beer to wait for--well, the friend who's running late.

Pepper Potts comes into Daltons. Not normally one for the bars, but today was STRESSFUL. Dealing with emirs of countries which are used to dealing with Tony for drinks and strippers or whatnot is always just so .... blecch. Not to mention dealing with calls from Justice Hammer and Norman Osborne, each vying for political support. Which really was trying since she didnt like either of the choices. One was bad for business in New York because of high corporate tax rates and an anti-business history. And the other was just bad. But since she'd been doing the job even since Tony was still CEO, she had found the cure for dealing with them. A nice strong drink, then go to a spa afterwards with the phone turned off.

Natasha looks over at Matt and murmurs a polite greeting-- which lets her spy Pepper. This could be either awkward or interesting. She waves at the CEO of Stark Enterprises, gesturing to the open space on her other side if Pepper wanted company.

As the mailman he was talking with leaves, Peter Parker can't help but glance around quickly. Err, he was taking up a table wtih Mister Lumpkin for well over an hour and they were very patient, so he should totally order something and.. His hand reaches in to a pocket, and all the money he has is his bus fare. He sighs. Going to be web slinging home..

"So, what's good going on in the city tonight?" He tips his head slightly towards Natasha, but he's just casting the question out there to the group gathered around the bar as he lounges against the bar with beer in hand. "Please tell me someone's having a better Monday than I am."

Matt Murdock throws his name in there too.

Pepper Potts looks around, noticing a few familiar faces, or at least one - Natasha. Well.... she also does recognize Matt Murdock. Then she looks around and sees that Peter Parker kid here too. God please don't be here for pictures. She waves at Natasha and motions to see if she can join her.

Natasha nods Pepper over gesturing to the bartender for drinks for herself, Pepper, and Matt-- and is that Parker? No shame in getting someone in the press on her good side for a change. "And a soda for him-- whatever he's drinking."

Peter Parker glances over at Nat, "Uhm.." Oh, it's scary SHIELD Lady. He glances over at Matt then, blinking.. Where does he know.. Oh, that's the guy who alwyas gets Doc Ock off!

"That's very kind of you." Matt chuckles as he lifts his beer in a salute for the round. "Alright, so--nothing going on in the city of note--so what is it we're drinking to? Or for?" Continuing his relaxed lean against the bar, trying to determine if he knows the mostly quiet gathering along the bar. "I'm Matt by the way."

Pepper Potts heads over to Natasha. She hadnt actually talked to her in a while - at least not since that assassination attempt on her and the whole Extremis thing. Then again, Pepper hasnt being going around being super-hero-y since then. Just been doing the same ol' same ol' of being CEO of a multinational corporation. "Natasha, hi there! Feels like forever since we talked. And Mr. Murdock?" She almost waves, then realizes that would be dumb to do to someone who's blind.

Peter Parker just heaves a relaxed sigh as he sees Pepper. Not someone he's met.. But someone he knows. "Ahh, Ms. Potts? A pleasure. You've done amazing things for the stock and derivatives of Stark Enterprises and I hope your custodianship goes on a long term. My Uncle used to own stock from the IPO.."

"Pepper," Natasha greets the woman, then nods at Matt. "I am Natasha," as should be obvious from Pepper's greeting. "And I am drinking because..." she pauses. Then only tells half the truth. "Because paperwork."

Matt Murdock grins, tipping his head towards the familiar voice, "Ms Potts. Long time no see--" He adds a wider smile to the end of that, "I guess you must be staying out of trouble?" When Peter speaks up he inclines his head to the younger man, and then makes full circle of the gathering to return his attention to Natasha, "To less paperwork then. I think Ms. Potts can agree with that."

Pepper Potts shrugs as she sits near Natasha. "Aside from the odd assassination attempt on my life, I've been doing peachy." Then nods. "And I'm all for less paperwork. So, have you been getting into any trouble lately, or is it one of those 'I'd tell you but I'd have to kill you' things?" she asks Natasha with a smile before sipping the drink that just arrived for her.

Peter Parker gives a light nod over at Matt, accepting his soda and taking a tnetative sip. No Spider-Sense, so it's not poison. He really, really hopes that the very scary SHIELD lady is not going to spring ninjas on him.

Nat gives Pepper a tight smile. "Well, the tabloids have certainly been having enough fun exposing my personal life," she remarks coolly. "Other than that-- probably the 'have to kill you' thing." A joke? From Nat? It's not a very funny one, but it's at least an attempt.

"Sounds rough. Glad that you're holding up enough to get out in public and not let it get you down." Matt speaks quietly to Pepper first and then offers a small nod and a look of sympathy for Natasha. "Hopefully that tabloid thing will pass--or they'll find something more interesting to pick appart."

Pepper Potts nods a little. "Yeah well... there are about 2 people in here and three outside to try to make sure I don't get kidnapped or killed by the 'villain of the week' probably so..." She holds her glass up a bit then sips it again. "Cheers. Right?" She looks over at Natasha. "Yeah I heard about that thing with Luthor and that Savage person and the website."

Peter Parker listens quietly to the adults talking, a frown over on his face as he pays a great deal of attention over to them and just watches quietly as he ships at his soda. Knowing very well that these sorts of things only spell trouble.

Natasha clinks glasses with Pepper. "Well, add another to the list of people who would take offense to the villain of the week," she notes. "Tony would be quite distressed if you were kidnapped tonight, and I cannot handle anything else distressing the man."

Pepper Potts nods a little. "He's been pretty much pulled in all directions huh. Plus I read in the paper about that thing with Sawyer."

Natasha nods, her expression blank and almost icy. "Yes. Sawyer. The thing." She takes a healthy swig of her drink.

NOw this part is new to Peter Parker as he listens as attentively as he can and tries not to interrupt then. WHatever it is, it seems to involve Tony Stark so there are likely explosions.

Pepper Potts takes a lonnnng sip of her drink. "You'll keep an eye on him and keep him from... you you know... getting himself hurt? When he's all distracted it's dangerous. Heh... like I'm one to talk about getting in trouble. I'm usually the one getting rescued."

"Always," Natasha replies seriously. "He has been very distracted and it is not good for him." She pauses. "Pepper, I do not really know who to speak to about this. But you must swear to keep it from Tony, at least until I can determine how... /if/.. to tell him." She looks over at Pepper.

Peter Parker is tryig hard not to listen -too- attnetively. Trying hard not to. Failing. Reaching for the soda once more. Sipping. Bit too loudly. Bit -wayy- too loudly as the straw hits bottom. DAMMIT.


 * SCHLURP*

Pepper Potts peers closely at Natasha. "If it helps Tony to not tell him...." She takes a long pause, "Then I won't tell him. What is it?"

A long moment of silence passes, and then Natasha taps her own stomach with a slight wince.

Peter Parker errs.. Then takes a few moments to back away from the redheads. "Sorry!"

Pepper Potts looks at Natasha, then her stomach. Then turns to Peter. Then back to Natasha's stomach. "I'm going to need more... because the idea I'm getting in my head from that action is going to sound stupid if I say it out loud."

Natasha looks over at Peter, just now noticing he was paying attention. /That/ is how distracted she has been. She regards him with a level, ice-filled look.

Redhead! Danger will robinson! REDHEAD. Peter manages to blubber, "HeythisisapublicplaceohhilookatthetimeI'lltotallybegoingnow."

Pepper Potts looks at Peter, then at Natasha's icy stare. Then back at Peter. Back to Natasha. "You have to teach me how to do that, there's this South American ambassador who I'd -really- like to be able to do that to."

"We should probably discuss this elsewhere anyway," Natasha nods coolly. "As for the look, takes practice."

Peter has more sense than most men to be fleeing in terror over from the two then over as he retreats to the far side of the room to the laughing of some of the men.

Pepper Potts smiles and shakes her head. "Yeah, probably a good idea, because the only thing I could come up with is that Tony got you pregnant or something." she says with a giggle, saying it in a joking way. "So where do you want to go and you can tell me this secret? I have a limo outside?"

Natasha forces a smile at that. "Sure, let me just..." and she gestures to close out her tab. The bartender slides her the slip, she signs it. "I have no plans."

Pepper Potts smiles and heads out to the limo with Natasha. Two men in the bar move out a few seconds afterwards. Probably the 'bodyguards' Pepper mentioned earlier, and she heads into the limo. Once inside, Pepper preses a button for the privacy screen to go up between the back and the driver, "Okay..." and she looks at Natasha. "So what's this big secret, and I promise I won't tell Tony."

"You... already said it." Natasha looks rather emotionless as she relates that information.

Pepper Potts looks confused at first, "No, all I did was joke about you being-...." She stops talking. And looks at Natasha's stomach. "Wait..." She rubs her temples, then shakes her head. "Wait, are you saying you and Tony.... and you're..." She looks back at the bar, wondering if it would make her an alcoholic to want another drink. Back to Natasha. "You're pregnant. You and Tony are... wait and he doesn't ... You're PREGNANT?" She then says, "And Tony is the father?"

Natasha rubs her temples. "Yes. And yes. And dammit it all, yes." She looks probably more emotional and frustrated than Pepper has ever seen her. "I just found out. I do not know how to cope with this. This should not be possible. He will... aughhh!" She shakes her head. "This will distract him. But if I... take care of this and he finds out... it will be worse."

Pepper Potts looks at Natasha. "Well I mean... what are you planning on doing? Are you going to keep the- I mean... if you do, it's not like you're going to be able to keep it a secret and Tony's going to get all freaked out and Tony about it and - when did you and him even....?"

Whole lot of incomplete sentences there!

Good soldier time. Natasha's tone in responding to questions are more like a soldier giving a report.

"I do not know. I do not know. I am aware. Repeatedly, most nights since I returned from Atlantis. Most recently, the night of the embassy gala." Yep, probably too much information there.

Pepper Potts rubs her temples again. "Well...." she takes a deep breath, murmuring under her breath, "i don't believe this..." Then looks at Natasha. "Well... if you do keep the baby and you tell - you're SURE it's Tony's and not someone else's?" She thinks. "Arent you and Clint -"

"Not since I shot him," Natasha answers honestly. Then flinches. Bozhe moy, this entire situation has her off her game! /None/ of the Avengers, and very few SHIELD operatives, know about that-- it happened before the Skrull incident anyway. She rubs her temples. "He and I have been... not together for a long time."

Pepper Potts blinks. "Seriously?" She then gets back to the pertinent issue. "Okay um.. well if you are going to tell Tony, how do you think he's going to take it. I mean... him and kids - he doesn't...." She looks around. Why the hell did she get rid of the limo bar when she took over being CEO from Tony? "You know he has some.... daddy issues right? I mean...."

Natasha rolls her eyes. "Tony has more issues than most magazines..." she notes. "And I don't know. Last time we were in Malibu, he was going off on how he wanted children, but didn't... because he's a target, and they would be targets, but he wants to get married--"

Now Natasha is rambling. This pregnancy thing has her in shock, and she has been in shock for /days/. This isn't like torture, or murder, or things that /make sense/ in her twisted psyche.

Pepper Potts closes her eyes tightly, then opens them again. Okay. Obviously she's been hallucinating. That's the obvious answer. She's not used to hard liquor and that drink knocked her out, and she's just having a wacked out dream about all this. "Tony wants children and wants to get married?" She pauses. "Tony Stark?" She peers closer at Natasha. "Tony Edward Stark? Beard, been on People Magazine's Dedicated Bachelor of the Year 5 times?"

Pepper then looks around. Maybe she's on a hidden camera show? She looks back at Natasha. "Since.... when.... does Tony want to get-" She pauses. "Really?" she says? Dammit Pepper!

"I almost checked him to see if he was a Skrull--" Natasha says blandly. "--but he was very much Tony Stark. Maybe it was drinking. He's drinking again, you know."

Pepper Potts rubs the bridge of her nose. "I'd heard about that part... Nat... this is not-" She then asks Natasha. "If you tell him, and he was to... i can't believe I'm saying this ... ask you to marry him, would you-...?"

"Doubtful. He had the ring last time we were dating, but the entire 'spy for the Russian government' thing was a dealbreaker." Another attempt at a joke, but it was oh-so serious at the same time.

Pepper Potts puts her hands on Natasha's. "You realize how.... really really... REALLY bad this can get if you - I mean.... he's already drinking again as it is and why am I not able to say complete sentences anymore?" She takes a deep breath to collect her thoughts.

"Will you let me know what you decide to do when you decide?" she asks. Since Pepper really, really, REALLY cares about Tony. She wonders if this is how Tony felt when she and Happy were together. She then slumps back in the car seat. "For some reason I always thought Tony's sperm would be nanotech-designed to reject procreation."

Natasha looks away. "I should not have bothered you with this. It has distressed you-- I did not intend it." Her fist clenches at her side. "I do not know his particular... issues in that regard. It has not been my concern, to be honest."

Pepper Potts looks over at Natasha, realizing she's been freaking out so much about how Tony would react that she didnt bother to see how Natasha was doing about all this. She sits up and slumps her shoulder. "I'm sorry. No, it's good that you toldme about this - I'm not distressed, I'm just... surprised." She looks at the privacy window. "Very, very..... very very very.... very surprised. But I shouldnt be getting so - okay well I should be because it's Tony, but I should also be asking how are you doing with this? I'm going to guess you could not have been expecting something like this." She pats Nnatasha's fist. "Have you told anyone else about this?"

"No. Bozhe moy, nyet." Natasha rubs her temples. "Wasp and Pym know, but Pym did the test and Janet was there when the results--" she sighs. "I don't know what I am supposed to do." She needs orders. She needs stability.

And there's no way she's telling Nick Fury.

Pepper Potts leans over and gives Natasha a hug. "I didn't mean to make a stressful time even more stressful. When you decide what you want to do, I'll help - whatever you choose. Okay?"

"I can't choose..." Natasha sighs. "I can't choose to terminate the issue." God, clinical and cold. "Tony /will/ find out, and that /will/ destroy him. I cannot do that to him." Whether that is for emotional or entirely pragmatic reasons, it's not clear.

Pepper Potts keeps up the hug. Then looks at Natasha. "Maybe.... I don't know... Maybe Tony will surprise... everyone." She thinks. "He does have a habit of doing that." She thinks to herself about how the next sentence should be 'though usually not in a positive way.' But she doesnt say that. Do not tell a pregnant woman who knows 152 ways to kill with a pinky stuff to stress her out even more.

Wise idea.

"I have done many things in my life, Pepper, but telling Tony Stark about this may actually scare me." She could be joking, but there is a hint of truth in her words.

Pepper Potts looks at Natasha. "Well... I think if any woman can get through this and figure this out, it's you." She takes a moment. "Would you like a drive to the spa? I usually go when I've had a stressful day and I think, given the circumstances, maybe relaxing will help you get your thoughts together."

Natasha chuckles. "I will not turn down the idea," she says with a nod.