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seren_ccdChapter 12 - Gift, Theme 072
Series: Tight Coupling
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1572
Disclaimer: Still not mine and all Marvel's.
Summary: Pepper cringed and leaned back in her chair as she opened the case. It popped open on its hinges easily. Pepper blinked at the sight on the contents.
A/N: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. And I thank everyone for reviewing! You are all very, very lovely and I really appreciate you leaving me a line to let me know what you think. Thank you so much!
"Pepper Potts," Pepper said distractedly as she answered the phone on her desk at Stark Industries, her eyes on the news reports on the computer screen in front of her.
"Miss Potts! Ed Cummings here," a friendly voice informed her.
"Oh Dr. Cummings," she said tearing her attention away from the screen. "Thank you for contacting me. Mr. Stark would like to have the latest stock forecasts sent up to take a look at."
"Yes, I got your message," the accountant said. "We're putting them together right now. May I ask though, is there something wrong?"
"Oh no," Pepper reassured him. "He's just wanting to satisfy his curiosity."
"Well, we're happy to comply," Cummings said. "I have to say, the whole company's all aflutter at his apparent interest in the goings-on at Stark Industries."
Pepper smiled ruefully and started to skim the news articles again.
"Yes, I imagine they are."
"Well, I'll have the reports emailed up to you immediately. Would you like one of us to come up to go over any of it?" he asked.
"Oh, I think I can manage, thank you," she told him. "If not, I'll call Danny."
"Oh. Yes. Well," Dr. Cummings hesitated. "Actually, Mr. Morgan isn't in today."
Pepper stopped skimming. "Oh. Is he ill?"
"Well, possibly," he said. "To be honest Pepper, I haven't seen him since day before yesterday."
"It isn't like him to miss a day of work," Pepper frowned.
"No, I was quite surprised to not see him yesterday. However, his co-workers tell me he'd been working for the last four days straight with almost no breaks," he explained. "It's entirely possible he's crashed, as they say, on his couch at home. I'll try calling him later today."
"Well, please keep me posted," Pepper said.
"Will most certainly do Pepper," Dr. Cummings reassured her.
"Thank you for the reports," she said before hanging up.
Pepper continued her perusal of the news and kept an eye on her inbox for the forecasts.
"Excuse me, Miss Potts?" a voice interrupted her.
She looked up. The young mail clerk was standing in door to her office. Pepper smiled at the young man.
"Oh, sorry, yes?" she said.
"I've got a delivery for you," he said coming towards her desk with a padded envelope.
"Mr Stark's mail is usually given to Ann up front," she said with a smile and a glance at his nametag, "Andy."
"Oh, no. This is for you," he said handing her the hard envelope.
"For me?" Pepper said confused. She took the package. "Thank you."
"Sure thing," Andy said. He turned and headed back to his cart.
Pepper quickly looked over the envelope and called out, "Andy! Just a sec, there's no return address on this. Did it go through the security check?"
"Yes ma'am," Andy reassured her. "New protocol. Every little bit of mail gets scanned and sent through security. Twice! Nothing gets through now."
"Okay, thank you," she said. Andy smiled again started to push his trolley back down the hall. Pepper looked down at the envelope she held in her hands.
It was a plain, white legal sized padded envelope. Her name was printed neatly in all capital letters in black ink. And absolutely no return address. There was a solid rectangular shape inside. She squeezed the envelope gingerly. Then sighed.
"Right. Here goes," she said pulling the 'pull here' tab.
Pepper looked inside and feeling extremely confused, reached in and pulled out an eyeglasses case. A simple, nondescript black case. For glasses.
"I swear to God, Anthony Stark if you are pranking me," Pepper warned under her breath.
She cringed and leaned back in her chair as she opened the case. It popped open on its hinges easily. Pepper blinked at the sight on the contents.
Plain, black rimmed eyeglasses.
"What?" Pepper said aloud. She lifted them out of the case. They were slightly heavier than a regular pair of glasses. Pepper unfolded them and inspected the rims. The earpieces looked to be specially fitted for comfort and stability. One arm had tiny silver buttons that clicked softly as she pushed them, but nothing happened. Pepper hesitated and then lifted them to her eyes. She discovered that the lenses were a crystal clear glass and were neither concave or convex. They were simply glass lenses.
Pepper put the glasses down on her desk.
"What?" she said again softly. Then something sparked her memory. She let out a huff and a "Oh for heaven's sake," and grabbed her phone. She pressed speed dial. She was just figuring out the message she was going to leave in his voicemail when the phone was actually answered with a,
"Potts, what's up?" Tony answered.
"Oh nothing," she said flustered. "I mean... That is... Why are you answering your phone?"
Silence greeted her. Then was followed by a snort of laughter.
"Because it rang?" he explained slowly.
"Of course, right," she said. She picked up the glasses again and twirled them experimentally. They really were heavier than regular glasses.
"Pepper, is everything okay?" Tony asked.
"Yes, it's fine. Just," she took a deep breath. "Did you really feel the need to expand on that little fantasy of yours by sending me actual glasses?"
"What?" Tony said.
Pepper sighed heavily.
"Last night? Teasing me about working in Accounting? Asking if I wore glasses?" she reminded him. "Well, the glasses have just arrived and I don't think I'll be wearing them anytime soon, so if a pocket protector is on it's way, be assured that it will probably go in the trash."
Once again there was silence on the other end.
"Tony? Did you hear me?" she asked.
"Ye-es, yes, I did," Tony answered. "I didn't understand you, but I did hear you."
"The glasses, Tony," Pepper said. "I'm not wearing them."
"Pepper," he began. She heard a sigh. "Pepper, I didn't send you any glasses."
"What do you mean? Of course you did. They're right here," she told him.
"And I mean that I didn't send you any," Tony told her.
Pepper looked at the glasses. Suddenly the weight of them was extremely heavy in her hand.
"You didn't send me the black rimmed glasses that I'm holding in my hand," she stated.
"No, I really didn't," he said. "Someone sent you glasses? Eyeglasses? For seeing?"
"Yes," she said. Pepper swallowed. "Tony?"
"Call security right away and have them scanned," he ordered.
"They've already been scanned," she said quietly. "New protocol. Every piece of mail gets scanned twice before delivery."
"I don't like it," he said. "Why the hell are you being sent eyeglasses? Have them scanned again."
"Fine, I'll head down now," Pepper said. She folded the glasses up and put them in their case. They looked innocuous enough. "It's probably nothing you know. Some joke or something."
"I'm curious about the punchline though," Tony said. "Scan them again and then bring them to the house and I'll have Jarvis look at them."
"Sure, I'll see you later. Oh, and," she said sheepishly. "Sorry I accused you of sending them to me."
"Hey, it's a logical assumption," he said easily, chuckling.
Pepper chuckled too.
"Although, if I were to ever send you anything that had anything to do with any type of hypothetical fantasy I may or may not have entertained about you," Tony said.
"Yes?" Pepper said cautiously.
"Rest assured," he continued in a deeper voice. "The glasses would have been horn-rimmed."
*****
Two hours later found Pepper driving out to Stark Mansion. The glasses, along with their case, had been sent through an X-ray machine, examined by five different inspectors and even dusted for fingerprints. And aside from Pepper's, none were present.
They did find one thing.
A small, white piece of paper was wedged in the bottom half of the case under the thin velvet. It had a single line on it, typed:
Number is the ruler of forms and ideas, and the cause of gods and demons.
A quick Google search found the quote and it's original author, Pythagoras. Pepper had laughed it off with the security detail, but inside she knew that this was a message. Not only for her, but for Tony as well.
As she drove through the winding roads of Malibu, the glasses, case and quote in her bag on the seat next to her, and the sun reflecting brightly off the ocean below, she finally allowed herself to wonder.
Who on earth would bother to send her a pair of eyeglasses that appeared to have no actual purpose? Why include a quote by Pythagoras of all people? And finally, why did this person take even more trouble to remain completely anonymous?
Not for the first time, Pepper wondered who this person was and if they were planning to cause trouble for Tony or if they themselves were the one in trouble.
Series: Tight Coupling
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1572
Disclaimer: Still not mine and all Marvel's.
Summary: Pepper cringed and leaned back in her chair as she opened the case. It popped open on its hinges easily. Pepper blinked at the sight on the contents.
A/N: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. And I thank everyone for reviewing! You are all very, very lovely and I really appreciate you leaving me a line to let me know what you think. Thank you so much!
"Pepper Potts," Pepper said distractedly as she answered the phone on her desk at Stark Industries, her eyes on the news reports on the computer screen in front of her.
"Miss Potts! Ed Cummings here," a friendly voice informed her.
"Oh Dr. Cummings," she said tearing her attention away from the screen. "Thank you for contacting me. Mr. Stark would like to have the latest stock forecasts sent up to take a look at."
"Yes, I got your message," the accountant said. "We're putting them together right now. May I ask though, is there something wrong?"
"Oh no," Pepper reassured him. "He's just wanting to satisfy his curiosity."
"Well, we're happy to comply," Cummings said. "I have to say, the whole company's all aflutter at his apparent interest in the goings-on at Stark Industries."
Pepper smiled ruefully and started to skim the news articles again.
"Yes, I imagine they are."
"Well, I'll have the reports emailed up to you immediately. Would you like one of us to come up to go over any of it?" he asked.
"Oh, I think I can manage, thank you," she told him. "If not, I'll call Danny."
"Oh. Yes. Well," Dr. Cummings hesitated. "Actually, Mr. Morgan isn't in today."
Pepper stopped skimming. "Oh. Is he ill?"
"Well, possibly," he said. "To be honest Pepper, I haven't seen him since day before yesterday."
"It isn't like him to miss a day of work," Pepper frowned.
"No, I was quite surprised to not see him yesterday. However, his co-workers tell me he'd been working for the last four days straight with almost no breaks," he explained. "It's entirely possible he's crashed, as they say, on his couch at home. I'll try calling him later today."
"Well, please keep me posted," Pepper said.
"Will most certainly do Pepper," Dr. Cummings reassured her.
"Thank you for the reports," she said before hanging up.
Pepper continued her perusal of the news and kept an eye on her inbox for the forecasts.
"Excuse me, Miss Potts?" a voice interrupted her.
She looked up. The young mail clerk was standing in door to her office. Pepper smiled at the young man.
"Oh, sorry, yes?" she said.
"I've got a delivery for you," he said coming towards her desk with a padded envelope.
"Mr Stark's mail is usually given to Ann up front," she said with a smile and a glance at his nametag, "Andy."
"Oh, no. This is for you," he said handing her the hard envelope.
"For me?" Pepper said confused. She took the package. "Thank you."
"Sure thing," Andy said. He turned and headed back to his cart.
Pepper quickly looked over the envelope and called out, "Andy! Just a sec, there's no return address on this. Did it go through the security check?"
"Yes ma'am," Andy reassured her. "New protocol. Every little bit of mail gets scanned and sent through security. Twice! Nothing gets through now."
"Okay, thank you," she said. Andy smiled again started to push his trolley back down the hall. Pepper looked down at the envelope she held in her hands.
It was a plain, white legal sized padded envelope. Her name was printed neatly in all capital letters in black ink. And absolutely no return address. There was a solid rectangular shape inside. She squeezed the envelope gingerly. Then sighed.
"Right. Here goes," she said pulling the 'pull here' tab.
Pepper looked inside and feeling extremely confused, reached in and pulled out an eyeglasses case. A simple, nondescript black case. For glasses.
"I swear to God, Anthony Stark if you are pranking me," Pepper warned under her breath.
She cringed and leaned back in her chair as she opened the case. It popped open on its hinges easily. Pepper blinked at the sight on the contents.
Plain, black rimmed eyeglasses.
"What?" Pepper said aloud. She lifted them out of the case. They were slightly heavier than a regular pair of glasses. Pepper unfolded them and inspected the rims. The earpieces looked to be specially fitted for comfort and stability. One arm had tiny silver buttons that clicked softly as she pushed them, but nothing happened. Pepper hesitated and then lifted them to her eyes. She discovered that the lenses were a crystal clear glass and were neither concave or convex. They were simply glass lenses.
Pepper put the glasses down on her desk.
"What?" she said again softly. Then something sparked her memory. She let out a huff and a "Oh for heaven's sake," and grabbed her phone. She pressed speed dial. She was just figuring out the message she was going to leave in his voicemail when the phone was actually answered with a,
"Potts, what's up?" Tony answered.
"Oh nothing," she said flustered. "I mean... That is... Why are you answering your phone?"
Silence greeted her. Then was followed by a snort of laughter.
"Because it rang?" he explained slowly.
"Of course, right," she said. She picked up the glasses again and twirled them experimentally. They really were heavier than regular glasses.
"Pepper, is everything okay?" Tony asked.
"Yes, it's fine. Just," she took a deep breath. "Did you really feel the need to expand on that little fantasy of yours by sending me actual glasses?"
"What?" Tony said.
Pepper sighed heavily.
"Last night? Teasing me about working in Accounting? Asking if I wore glasses?" she reminded him. "Well, the glasses have just arrived and I don't think I'll be wearing them anytime soon, so if a pocket protector is on it's way, be assured that it will probably go in the trash."
Once again there was silence on the other end.
"Tony? Did you hear me?" she asked.
"Ye-es, yes, I did," Tony answered. "I didn't understand you, but I did hear you."
"The glasses, Tony," Pepper said. "I'm not wearing them."
"Pepper," he began. She heard a sigh. "Pepper, I didn't send you any glasses."
"What do you mean? Of course you did. They're right here," she told him.
"And I mean that I didn't send you any," Tony told her.
Pepper looked at the glasses. Suddenly the weight of them was extremely heavy in her hand.
"You didn't send me the black rimmed glasses that I'm holding in my hand," she stated.
"No, I really didn't," he said. "Someone sent you glasses? Eyeglasses? For seeing?"
"Yes," she said. Pepper swallowed. "Tony?"
"Call security right away and have them scanned," he ordered.
"They've already been scanned," she said quietly. "New protocol. Every piece of mail gets scanned twice before delivery."
"I don't like it," he said. "Why the hell are you being sent eyeglasses? Have them scanned again."
"Fine, I'll head down now," Pepper said. She folded the glasses up and put them in their case. They looked innocuous enough. "It's probably nothing you know. Some joke or something."
"I'm curious about the punchline though," Tony said. "Scan them again and then bring them to the house and I'll have Jarvis look at them."
"Sure, I'll see you later. Oh, and," she said sheepishly. "Sorry I accused you of sending them to me."
"Hey, it's a logical assumption," he said easily, chuckling.
Pepper chuckled too.
"Although, if I were to ever send you anything that had anything to do with any type of hypothetical fantasy I may or may not have entertained about you," Tony said.
"Yes?" Pepper said cautiously.
"Rest assured," he continued in a deeper voice. "The glasses would have been horn-rimmed."
*****
Two hours later found Pepper driving out to Stark Mansion. The glasses, along with their case, had been sent through an X-ray machine, examined by five different inspectors and even dusted for fingerprints. And aside from Pepper's, none were present.
They did find one thing.
A small, white piece of paper was wedged in the bottom half of the case under the thin velvet. It had a single line on it, typed:
Number is the ruler of forms and ideas, and the cause of gods and demons.
A quick Google search found the quote and it's original author, Pythagoras. Pepper had laughed it off with the security detail, but inside she knew that this was a message. Not only for her, but for Tony as well.
As she drove through the winding roads of Malibu, the glasses, case and quote in her bag on the seat next to her, and the sun reflecting brightly off the ocean below, she finally allowed herself to wonder.
Who on earth would bother to send her a pair of eyeglasses that appeared to have no actual purpose? Why include a quote by Pythagoras of all people? And finally, why did this person take even more trouble to remain completely anonymous?
Not for the first time, Pepper wondered who this person was and if they were planning to cause trouble for Tony or if they themselves were the one in trouble.
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Date: 2008-10-25 09:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-24 03:48 pm (UTC)I look forward to more.
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Date: 2008-10-25 09:12 am (UTC)And I have to say that your icon is making me smile!
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Date: 2008-10-24 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-25 09:16 am (UTC)So happy the banter is still working out and that I've got your attention! Thank you!