Pepper Potts's Secret Journal

For Pepper Potts, respect isn't something that is handed out freely: it's earned and it's deserved. That being said, she expects the same thing back. Just because she's Pepper Potts, Iron Man tamer, shouldn't be enough to gain her the respect and admiration of others, but it does and while it worries her at times, it's an asset at others.

"Well, you tell your boss that you have Pepper Potts on the line and she needs to speak with him immediately." The migraine she'd begun to have, upon seeing the news report rejoicing Captain America's return, had deepened with each email and phone call she received. Everyone wanted to know what exactly was happening, and everyone expected her to have an answer.

Well, she thinks to herself, I have an answer, but I doubt it's the answer people want to hear; and even that was stretching it. She never pretended to know exactly what was going on in Tony's mind, although she usually did have a fairly good guess. Even today, for instance, when she was unable to get a hold of him, she knew something huge and monumental would have to occur for him to leave a ridiculous amount of work for her to forge. After all, she'd basically threatened him with castration if he didn't stay and sign the incoming reports.

A voice comes back on the phone and interrupts her thoughts. "Why yes, hello Mr. Dale. This is Pepper Potts...yes of course it's me....well regardless, it's absolutely imperative we have a press conference tomorrow, first thing. I've faxed you a list of the appropriate media liasons, as well as the questions the reporters are allowed to ask and not ask. I want this to go as smoothly as possible and I will not tolerate any deviations. Do I make myself understood?" She hated using this PR firm because every single time, she had to throw her name and rank into the situation, but since coming back she hadn't had the time to reacquaint herself to how everything worked. Back in California, she'd relied on Kate's amazing skills and normally, if she'd had warning, she would've called Kate herself and sent the plane to get her.

Jotting down on a piece of paper, she reminds herself to fire them as soon as possible. "Am I to understand that you are not capable of something on this scale? Right. Well, that's what I thought. Tomorrow Mr.Dale. 10 am. " That would give her enough time to hunt down, Tony right? Hanging up, she sighs and reaches for her coffee. Looking at her laptop, she groans and skims over the subject lines. She'd instructed Carol to send her all emails from the press or media, in the attempts of preventing Carol's head from exploding. Unfortunately, Pepper had underestimated the public's interest.

"Wow," she mutters,"Carol was right: the junior senator of Kentucky really is interested in this. Who knew." Taking a deep breath, she begins the task of erasing emails, and setting aside those which require a response (immediate, tomorrow, a week from now). Right afterwards, she'll call Carol, let her know of the impending press conference and somehow track down Tony and Steve after which point she'll get the full story (not that she doesn't know anyways but it's fun to make Tony squirm).

And after all this has been done, she'll sit back, kick her heels off and smile. Tony still respects her abilities enough to leave this mess for her, and the sadist in her appreciates it. She's back and she's not going anywhere.

Everyone wondered how exactly Pepper Potts could get Tony Stark to do anything. Before her, there had been countless assistants, all quitting within the first month (or week in some cases), refusing to go back.

When Pepper heard this, she was concerned but, at the same time intrigued. She’d been working for one Mr. Theodore Finley, a banker, and was bored to tears. Her days were endless repetition, and tedium so when she heard that Tony Stark’s newest assistant had quit, she applied.

She didn’t expect to hear back: after all, she didn’t have much of a business background. Needless to say, she was ecstatic and spent a ridiculous amount of money on a smart little black suit, and gorgeous heels. If she was going to work with money, she’d better look the part.

He wasn’t what she expected. First off, she thought she’d be interviewed by an HR manager, not by Tony Stark himself. Secondly, he asked the oddest questions.

“If you were a hamster, what do you think your first words would be?”
“Explain to me the theory behind anklets”
“What does the colour yellow sound like?”

At first she played along.
“I think I’d mention my susceptibility to motion sickness.”
“Ankles are ugly things; they need to be spiced up.”
“It probably sounds like a mix of Kleenex and water bottles.”

But eventually she tired of it. If he was going to be all over the place, no wonder people didn’t stay long. Taking a chance, she interrupted him. “Mr. Stark, while I understand you’re absolutely brilliant, and therefore don’t think quite like the ‘normal’ people, I’m not sure I understand this line of thinking. Could you please clarify?”

At first, there was silence. She was worried that she’d offended him until he broke out in a grin. “You’re hired. Go get me a coffee.”

So. Gentle persuasion. A Soft Challenge. That’s how someone deals with Tony Stark. She’d remember that.

If someone had told Pepper Potts that one day she would be the personal secretary of an over-confident, obnoxious, immature billionaire playboy - and love ever second of it- she would've laughed at them. After all, she had an (expensive) degree, for which she was (in debt) grateful for, and had every intention on using it to make herself millions of dollars by restructuring businesses, organizing countries and ultimately taking over the world. Turns out, a political science degree with a minor in English amounts to squat. Who knew.

So, somehow along the way, she did what she'd promised herself she'd never do: she became an executive assistant. In the beginning, she was skeptical. Who hadn't heard about Tony Stark's reckless behaviour? Of his extravagant spending? Of his inability to keep an assistant longer than two weeks? Of course, all it took was one comment from him ("Your shirt should be lower.") and the inevitable reply ("So my first duty will be signing you up for a sexual harrasment seminar?") for her to realize that, you know what, she could do worse. That being said, it was also easy when one's boss was wealthy beyond anyone's imagination and rewarded generously for actions that went beyond the call of duty (she never did have the guts to ask how he knew the hamster wanted to be turned into a projectile but she trusted his word on it). Also, the corner window office on the top floor helped (not that she was shallow or anything).

Pepper's life didn't turn out exactly the way she'd planned, and it was sure far from perfect, but she'd take it.

If someone had told Pepper Potts that one day she would be the personal secretary of an over-confident, obnoxious, immature billionaire playboy - and love ever second of it- she would've laughed at them. After all, she had an (expensive) degree, for which she was (in debt) grateful for, and had every intention on using it to make herself millions of dollars by restructuring businesses, organizing countries and ultimately taking over the world. Turns out, a political science degree with a minor in English amounts to squat. Who knew.

So, somehow along the way, she did what she'd promised herself she'd never do: she became an executive assistant. In the beginning, she was skeptical. Who hadn't heard about Tony Stark's reckless behaviour? Of his extravagant spending? Of his inability to keep an assistant longer than two weeks? Of course, all it took was one comment from him ("Your shirt should be lower.") and the inevitable reply ("So my first duty will be signing you up for a sexual harrasment seminar?") for her to realize that, you know what, she could do worse. That being said, it was also easy when one's boss was wealthy beyond anyone's imagination and rewarded generously for actions that went beyond the call of duty (she never did have the guts to ask how he knew the hamster wanted to be turned into a projectile but she trusted his word on it). Also, the corner window office on the top floor helped (not that she was shallow or anything).

Pepper's life didn't turn out exactly the way she'd planned, and it was sure far from perfect, but she'd take it.

1. First Name: Virginia Pepper

2. Age: -ty ish

3. Location: New York City, New York

4. Occupation: Chief Operating Officer of Stark Industries

5. Partner: Recently widowed but it was Happy Hogan.

6. Kids: No.

7. Brothers/Sisters: No.

8. Pets: I'm not home enough to keep plants alive, let alone a pet.

9. List the 3-5 biggest things going on in your life:

1. Recently re-located from Los Angeles to New York. Would've been easier to adapt if I hadn't left on vacation almost immediately afterwards.
2. Summer internships are beginning and I'm directly supervising a few of them. At least they're smart girls.
3. Trying to remember what it's like to be single
4. Tony. And if I know him, he'll complain he wasn't number one.

10. Where and for what did you go to school?: I have a Bachelors in Business with a Political Science minor. I was accepted for a Master's program in Business but instead I got married. No regrets.

11. Parents: Sissely and Thomas Potts.

12. Who are some of your closest friends?: Tony. Henry. Kate. Others. People. I don't know. I hate these types of questions.